Revolution (working title)
by SeekerGranger
Summary: After Harry's third year at Hogwarts, he returns to find a subdued Uncle Vernon. But two weeks later, Uncle Vernon beats Harry mercilessly and Harry flees. What he discovers and does shocks the Wizarding World. AU. H/Hr. Dumbles/Molly/Ron/Ginny bashing!
1. Pain

**_A/N: _****So, this is my new book. It's AU, after Prisoner of Azkaban. Harry gets beaten up very severely by Uncle Vernon and he runs away to the Weasley's (at least for the summer. Hehe)**

**4,371 words**

**Disclaimer: the majority of the characters and settings in this story are not original; they belong to Her Majesty Joanne Rowling the First. Some characters are however original. Any relation to any person; whether alive or dead, is purely accidental and coincidental, other than where the author states otherwise.**

**Rated T for language and violence.**

**Please Read and Review!**

* * *

**Chapter One: Pain**

Harry Potter woke up after a bad dream. He lay back down and looked up at the ceiling, thinking over the dream. It had been Voldermort. He was sure of it. The problem, however, was that there was not much to do about it.

After a few moments' thoughts, Harry stood up and looked out the window. It was dawn, still pretty early. But at least he wouldn't have to face any abuse anymore, or so he hoped. It had been two weeks since he had come back to Privet Drive.

In those two weeks, no one had touched him once. Uncle Vernon had not made contact between his fist and Harry's face. The only reason being they were scared of Sirius Black, Harry's godfather and innocent escaped convict. Sirius had been sent to Azkaban without trial for the twelve murders he didn't commit.

So Harry had remained intact, unlike previous summers, where he would get beaten multiple times a day. Before going to Hogwarts, Aunt Petunia would give him some make-up to cover the bruises. At Hogwarts he would use some glamours he had quickly learnt.

The reason that Harry Potter even needed these glamours was that Uncle Vernon beat Harry brutally. The latter would generally spend two months of pain. No one, absolutely no one knew about this. Harry had not wanted the sympathy or the pity. He would never tell anyone if he could help it.

He knew that if it wasn't for the threat of Sirius, Uncle Vernon would have beaten him to a pulp last year, after Harry engorged Uncle Vernon's sister Marge. Harry only got away because he was so quick. But two years before, after finding out that Harry had lied to them for a month about being able to use magic, as well as supposedly dropping a pudding on a very important guests head (the real culprit had been a house-elf), Harry had been beaten severely. He had then been locked in his room, while Uncle Vernon considered what to do to Harry.

As the sun persisted in rising, Harry let these thoughts go and decided to go down and make breakfast, not realising that this would be the first mistake of the worst day of his life.

* * *

As breakfast was served, the kitchen was busy as Harry attempted to meet everyone's demands. Coffee for his uncle, tea for his aunt and cousin. Having served them the drinks, Harry sat down, between his uncle and aunt. Suddenly, after taking a sip of coffee, his Uncle released a thunderous roar:

'WHAT IS THIS RUBBISH!' he shouted at Harry, sending spit flying everywhere. 'HOW DARE YOU SERVE ME SUCH GARBAGE!' he screamed. He grabbed Harry by the scruff of the neck and pulled him towards the living room, where he punched Harry.

Uncle Vernon continued to abuse Harry, who let out soft oofs and ended up on the floor, clutching his stomach. After a few minutes, his uncle had calmed down. 'Go wash up and then go to your room' he said.

Harry happily obliged and went to his room, silently praying for a miracle as he washed his bloody face. He winced as he reached a hand to touch his sore ribs.

* * *

That evening, his uncle returned late, very late, and drunk, very drunk. He thundered up the stairs, ignoring his wife's pleas for him to go to bed, for she knew what he wanted to do, and for once she knew it couldn't happen. But it did.

A very prominent and wealthy client had terminated his contract with Grunnings and had left to seek other business. It had cost Vernon Dursley his job. He had gone to a pub, and in his drunken state blamed Harry for his bad luck. Luck was controlled by magic, wasn't it?

Uncle Vernon crashed down the door of Harry's bedroom. Harry, who had been asleep, sat bolt upright as the intruder stormed into the room. Uncle Vernon turned on the light and went straight towards Harry, his face contorted in rage. For the first time in his life, Harry felt truly afraid for what was going to happen. He had never seen a look on his uncle's face before; it was contorted with absolute rage, and his eyes were filled with intents of murder.

Uncle Vernon grabbed Harry and slammed him down into Harry's bedside table. Harry, cried out, as he felt his teeth chip and blood fill his mouth. He spat the chips out. Uncle Vernon grabbed him up again and threw him across the room. Harry slammed into the wardrobe. Uncle Vernon advanced and bet Harry with as much force as he could. He then reached for the closest object he could find, which turned out to be a ruler. He smacked Harry with the ruler, ripped open Harry's pyjamas and began smacking him everywhere.

Harry did his best to stay quiet, but even this level of pain was too much for him. He cried out and began to cry as he felt his skin open from the whips that Uncle Vernon's ruler bought down upon him.

An hour later, Harry lay in pain, immense pain, like he had never felt before. His eyes were swollen, he had bruises everywhere, and he was pretty sure he had several cracked ribs. His arm was definitely broken, his uncle had twisted it right back.

But Harry was left in pain. When sure that her husband was asleep, Petunia snuck into Harry's room and cleaned the blood and whispered 'I'm sorry'. She then left. That's when Harry decided what to do.

He stood up, in immense pain. He slowly walked around his room, packing his stuff. He had decided to leave and never come back. He didn't care what anyone, even Dumbledore thought. He was tired of this. It had gone beyond worse, and if his uncle was unemployed, it could only go worse. If anyone cared about him, then they would accept this. If anyone, even Dumbledore tried to send him back, he would never speak to them again.

It took him three hours to pack, what with his pain and walking so slowly. It then took him another half-hour to get down the stairs and out the front door. He used a spell to help him keep his movement quiet. If Uncle Vernon found him now, Harry's night would only result in something that Harry couldn't even begin to fathom. At the pavement he held out his wand. A large, three-decker, purple bus shot out of nowhere. A pimpled youth came out.

'Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wiz-, 'Stan Shunpike, the conductor, stopped talking as he took in Harry's appearance. 'What the hell is wrong with ye?'

'Nothing,' croaked Harry. Stan knew he wouldn't get anymore answers so he took Harry's suitcase into the bus. After Harry slowly pulled himself up onto the bus and sat down, the bus shot off again.

'Where ye going, mate?' asked Stan.

'Do you know the Burrow?' asked Harry.

'Ah, yeah, I know where it is, can't take you there, sorry, private dwelling,' replied Stan.

'As close as possible,' pleaded Harry, handing his payment over. Stan nodded.

After about twenty minutes, they arrived at a line of trees. After being let off with his suitcase, Harry looked for the Burrow, and saw it in the distance, some two thousand feet away. The Knight Bus shot off, and Harry made his way towards the Burrow.

After about an hour-and-a-half of walking, he arrived at his destination. It was still dark, but Harry didn't care. He was in such a large amount of pain, that it clouded his judgment. He raised his arm and banged it against the door twice.

Lights flicked on in the house, and Harry heard the sound of feet running down the stairs.

'Who's there?' asked a male voice. Harry recognised it as Mr. Weasley's.

'It's me,' whispered Harry, in a weak voice. The door opened a peek, and Harry saw Mr. Weasley, holding a wand which was pointed at Harry's chest. Mr. Weasley took one look at Harry and let out a yelp of shock, taking in Harry's appearance.

'What the bloody hell happened!' he said.

'Arthur! Language!' Harry heard Mrs. Weasley shout, as if from a great distance. Mr. Weasley didn't pay any attention and opened the door wide for him. A second later, he heard two voices yell.

'Bloody hell, Harry! What's happened!' asked Ron Weasley, Harry's best friend, rushing over.

'Oh my God, Harry! Who did this to you! Arthur, call Dumbledore! Get me Poppy first though!' screamed Mrs. Weasley, rushing towards the kitchen for potions. 'Ron, take his clothes off and pull him into the kitchen,' she told her youngest son.

As Ron pulled Harry towards the kitchen, a small crowd of people gathered at the foot of the stairs, as Mr. Weasley disappeared into the fireplace. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley as well as Ron were wide awake now. The crowd consisted of Ginny, Percy, Charlie and Bill Weasley, as well as the twins. Each one of them was absolutely shocked to see Harry like this.

'Harry, who the bloody hell did this to you!' Ron practically yelled at Harry.

'Uncle, drunk, lost job,' said Harry in a weary voice, before losing consciousness. When he was on the table, Mrs. Weasley began taking off his clothes, along with the help of Ron. What they saw was even worse than they expected.

'Oh my God! Bill, get me some dittany, Charlie get me anti-bruising potion,' she shouted at her eldest sons.

Mr. Weasley, meanwhile was in the process of someone to answer the floo. Suddenly, Madam Pomfrey's head popped in.

'What's wrong Arthur?' she asked, in a tired voice.

'Poppy, you must come now! Harry's just showed up at our doorstep, completely injured!' panicked Mr. Weasley.

Madam Pomfrey immediately sprung into action; she took her first aid kit and potions kit and fully stepped into the fire. Jumping out, she almost ran straight towards the kitchen. What she found completely shocked the nurse, who had seen torture victims and victims of terrible plants.

Harry lay there, as Mrs. Weasley attempted to clean him up before using any potions or magic. Harry was lying there, naked. Neither Ron, nor Mrs. Weasley seemed to give this the slightest notice. But all Madam Pomfrey could see where the dozens of cuts, and hundreds of bruises all over Harry's body. His lips, nose and eyes were in terrible state, too. Mrs. Weasley looked up at Madam Pomfrey.

'Poppy, we need to regrow some of his teeth first,' she said.

Madam Pomfrey flew into action. She pushed Ron aside. 'Weasley, go. Me and your mother can handle this,' she ordered Ron. He shook his head. 'Weasley, you must go, otherwise I cannot properly assist Mr. Potter,' she said. Ron seemed to pay attention this time. He backed away at this and leaned against the counter.

Mrs. Weasley and Madam Pomfrey began their work. They cleaned everything first, before beginning to assess the damage and initiating treatment.

Meanwhile, Mr. Weasley was making contact with Dumbledore. He couldn't reach him, so he immediately went straight to Minerva. She was, thankfully available.

'Arthur, what is it? Why are you flooing at five in the morning?' she asked.

'Minerva, its Harry,' said Mr. Weasley. 'He just showed up, with swollen eyes, a broken arm, and apparently even worse, if Molly's sounds are any indicator.'

Minerva McGonagall was not a woman who scares easily. She had faced many challenging things before. She was strong, but this was too much. 'I'll go find Albus,' she said.

'Thank you,' said Mr. Weasley.

As he watched his mother and school nurse work on his friend, Ron thought about how anyone could do this. His parents had only smacked them, and that was dad, and you had to get him extremely angry to do that. Neither Percy, Ginny, Bill nor Ron had ever experienced that, while the other Weasley's had.

Suddenly, Ron remembered that he was not Harry' s only best friend. He raced into the living room, where his family was gathered, and his father was looking at the fireplace very few minutes.

'Dad, where's the telephone?!' he demanded of his dad. He had to contact Hermione. She had to know, and she had to know quickly.

Mr. Weasley seemed confused by this. 'Why do you need the tele-phone?' he asked.

'Hermione,' was all Ron said. Mr. Weasley nodded and lead him outside towards the shed. It was still dark; it was only four in the morning. After Mr. Weasley had showed Ron the phone and reminded him how to use it, Ron called Hermione, pulling the number out of the phonebook, where he had written both hers and Harry's number in. After about two minutes of the dial tone, a tired voice answered.

'Yes, who is this?' asked Mr. Granger, shocked that anyone could call this late, or early, depending on one's perspective.

'It's Ronald Weasley from school,' said Ron, desperately. 'I need to talk to Hermione, now!'

'I'm sorry, son, but she's asleep,' said Mr. Granger, confused as to why Hermione's friend would call at four in the morning to talk.

'Please, sir!' pleaded Ron. 'Our friend Harry' just showed up at my house, all beaten and bruised, by his uncle. Hermione's got to know now!'

Mr. Granger could hear the pleading and was suddenly awake after hearing about the abuse. He walked up the stairs.

'I'll get her,' said Mr. Granger.

He knocked on Hermione's door, before letting himself in. 'Hermione,' he said. 'Hermione, wake up, there's someone on the phone for you.'

Hermione slowly sat up, confused. She took the phone in her hand and bought it to her ear.

'What?' she asked in a tired and cold voice.

'Hermione, its Harry! He's just shown up at my house. He was beaten by his uncle. It's really bad! You have to come over!' Ron pleaded on the phone.

Hermione jumped up and was immediately awake. 'Ron, I'll be there as soon as possible,' she hung up and turned towards her father.

'Dad, I need to go into town, now!' she said.

'What, it's four in the morning!' said Mr. Granger, shocked that she would consider such a thing.

'I need to go to Ron's house. Harry's been severely beaten! I won't be able to sit here at home, anyway, knowing what's happened. I'll worry obsessively and end up going insane,' pleaded Hermione.

Mr. Granger considered this. It was true that she wouldn't be able to sleep, he probably wouldn't either.

'Fine, but I'm taking you, myself, to The Leaky Cauldron,' said Mr. Granger.

* * *

Over at the Weasley's, Mrs. Weasley and Madam Pomfrey continued to labour over Harry. After an hour, finally, they were done.

'I'm staying here, with you. I need to monitor his progress, 'said Madam Pomfrey.

'Yes, of course,' replied Mrs. Weasley.

Mr. Weasley and Ron came in and helped to carry Harry carefully onto the couch, which had been enlarged. Another half-hour passed until the fireplace erupted in green. Out of the fire stepped Dumbledore and, behind him, McGonagall. They walked towards Harry, and after looking him over, they followed the Weasleys and Madam Pomfrey into the kitchen.

'How is he?' asked Dumbledore gravely.

Mrs. Weasley paused; she could not look at Dumbledore right now. He had sent Harry to _them_, where he had been mistreated. Ron felt this too, but it was he who broke the silence. But he addressed Professor McGonagall instead of Dumbledore, leaving no doubt about just who he was talking too.

'He's terrible. His lip is broken, several teeth chipped, seven cracked ribs, both eyes swollen, nose broken, arm is broken is several places and even his legs are bruised,' said Ron. 'He left no part of Harry untouched,' spat Ron. 'Hermione already knows. I called her using that muggle thing.'

'How did he get here from Surrey?' asked Bill.

Dumbledore cleared his throat: 'The Knight Bus took him. It reached about two thousand feet out of the perimeter of the house. I believe he walked the rest of the way.'

'He walked, _walked _two _thousand _feet! How? How! He was in such a state that he could barely hold himself up,' fumed Mrs. Weasley.

'Adrenaline, most likely, contributed to his remarkable distance,' replied Dumbledore, calmly.

Mrs. Weasley was fuming. Here he stood, the man who had, essentially put Harry in harm's way, calmly discussing the situation.

'How dare you,' she whispered. 'HOW DARE YOU! You stand there, talking calmly, when it was you who put Harry in harm's way! Why them!? Why not us, or Minerva? For Gods' sake, bloody Hagrid would do! Why them? Minerva told me about them! Saw them that very day, when you dropped Harry off at _their _place! '

'I was necessary, Molly, there was strong Blood Magic there!' replied Dumbledore, slightly agitated.

'BULLSHIT!' roared Mrs. Weasley, shocking her entire family. Her children stared at her, open-mouthed at their mother. 'He would have been better off unprotected by that stupid magic and living with a loving family, then living like he has! Blood Magic!? Really? That's your excuse? Did you ever check on him!?' demanded Mrs. Weasley.

Dumbledore shook his head.

'NO! IN TEN BLOODY YEARS, YOU DIDN'T THINK ONCE TO CHECK ON HIM, TO SEE HOW HE WAS DOING? THEN AGAIN, IF YOU HAD SEEN THE ABUSE, YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULDN'T MATTER! AS LONG AS HARRY HAD HIS PRECIOUS _BLOOD MAGIC, _THEN IT WAS ACCEPTABLE TO LEAVE HIM THERE!' she screamed.

'I'm afraid that once he is healed, he will have to return to Privet Drive,' said Dumbledore calmly.

Everyone stared at him, shocked. Even McGonagall, could not believe it. Madam Pomfrey also stared in shock.

'Albus, are you serious? Given what we have seen, how can you send him back?' said Professor McGonagall, her respect for this man suddenly vanished.

'He must, the Blood Magic is too important!' insisted Dumbledore.

'But – how? – What? stuttered Ron.

'No! NO!' shouted Mrs. Weasley

'I'm sorry, Molly, but he must,' said Dumbledore.

'Actually, Headmaster, he must not. As far as I see, Mr. Vernon Dursley is unstable. If Harry were to return, it is possible he could die from any future wounds sustained. Therefore, I am advising that he never return,' Madam Pomfrey said, stepping in.

'I'm sorry, Poppy, but you can't do anything about it,' said Dumbledore, turning around and smiling sadly at Madam Pomfrey.

'Actually, Albus, I can. I am the nurse responsible for his health. I believe a Will by James and Lily Potter was found but buried, and I bet you were the one to bury it. It would, most likely, determine the succession of the legal guardians. I doubt that the Dursley's would top that list. But while we wait for that list, I am _ordering _him, as his nurse, to not return there,' said Madam Pomfrey, angrily.

'Poppy, you mustn't,' said Dumbledore, surprised at his nurse's response.

'Yes, I must, Albus. This boy needs care, maybe the Weasley's, maybe Minerva, but certainly not _you,_' replied Madam Pomfrey, in a nasty voice.

'I will fire you Poppy,' Dumbledore threatened.

'I would rather see my job go, then to see Potter returned to those relatives,' said Madam Pomfrey, standing up to her full height. 'Who knows? St. Mungo's have wanted me for years. Perhaps I'll work with them?'

Dumbledore realised that he was outnumbered. He decided to admit defeat.

'Very well, nothing will sway you. We will talk later,' said Dumbledore. He looked down at his feet and entered the fireplace, before bursting into green flames, and disappearing.

'Molly, calm down, okay?' said Mr. Weasley. He turned to Minerva, for he too, was disgusted with Dumbledore, 'I've contacted Amelia Bones and am meeting her at nine o'clock.'

'Good,' said Professor McGonagall. 'But we _must _find James and Lily's will. It will state Harry's legal guardian. I am only hoping that it is not Dumbledore. When he wakes up, you will have to talk to him.'

'I'm afraid, Minerva, that it will take a few days for him to wake up. I've put him into a coma, so that he won't feel any pain,' said Madam Pomfrey.

'Good. But you must go to Gringotts soon,' urged Professor McGonagall. 'Now, I must also take my leave.'

Professor McGonagall stood up, and followed Dumbledore's lead. She soon vanished in a roar of green flames.

* * *

None of the Weasley's went back to bed. They were far too awake now. At seven, the fire erupted in green flames, and a bushy-haired girl, with tears streaming down her face, and puffing like she had just ran a marathon appeared. Almost immediately, Hermione Granger threw her arms around Ron.

'I never knew! How can I be a best friend and not know! Where is he? Is he okay?' she asked, fresh tears streaming down her face.

'I didn't know either, Hermione. I think it must have stopped this summer, because Mum said it's all fresh. He's in the living room, Mum needs him close,' said Ron, pulling her from his grasp and staring at her. 'He's in an induced coma. Madam Pomfrey said that if he wasn't, he'd be screaming in pain.'

At this, a fresh wave of tears started falling down Hermione's cheeks.

'How did you get here so fast?' asked Ron, trying to change the subject, and generally curious. He and Hermione went into the living room, where the rest of the Weasley's sat, or stood, around Harry's couch. Mrs. Weasley and Madam Pomfrey were the closest, continuously monitoring Harry's state. Mrs. Weasley looked up, as her youngest son entered the room.

'Oh, Hermione! Oh, what are you doing here?' Mrs. Weasley jumped up, and hugged the girl.

'Ron called me a few hours ago. I never even knew,' said Hermione sadly. She turned towards Ron, 'I caught the Knight Bus. My parent's insisted I go with them. But I said I needed to be there quicker. That ended up with me being delayed by an hour. I got to the Leaky Cauldron at around six-thirty. But it didn't open till seven. I immediately ran towards the fireplace, and came here.'

'We think Harry arrived on the Knight Bus,' said Ron.

At this, Hermione's cheeks turned red. She nodded: 'Stan Shunpike was telling me all about it. He said that the kid was all "tattered up" He also strongly suspected it was Harry. He'd had Harry on the Knight Bus last year,' said Hermione, answering Ron's unspoken question. 'I, er, I decided to confound him, as well as the bus driver,' whispered Hermione.

The Weasley's and Madam Pomfrey all looked at her.

'I'll have to talk to Amelia Bones about getting that piece of underage magic squashed. I'll explain the situation,' Mr. Weasley spoke up.

'Thank you,' said Hermione. She walked towards Harry, and kneeled down. She looked at him; he looked so peaceful, but underneath, Hermione knew, was a raging torrent of pain.

'How could anyone do such a thing?' whispered Hermione. The Weasley's all heard her.

'We were just talking about that. We think that paying the Dursley's an early-morning visit is a good idea,' said Ron. Most of the Weasley's nodded.

'I'm afraid not. If we do, we could all be charged with assault. I'll tell Amelia Bones about what's happened, and then we'll decide what to do with the Dursley's. I know, for a fact, that the Ministry can influence some of the muggle agencies, and can arrest Vernon Dursley for assault resulting in great bodily harm,' said Mr. Weasley.

The Weasley's and Hermione all considered this. They would not be happy. But it was a better course than what they had planned. This way, Vernon Dursley would be imprisoned for a great deal of time.

* * *

While the Weasley's pondered what to do with them, the Dursley's were now waking up on a Friday morning. Vernon Dursley unlocked the door of Harry's bedroom, preparing to beat him up some more, for he still blamed Harry, even in his own sober state. He opened Harry's door and entered the bedroom. What he saw infuriated him.

The room was bare; there was nothing other than the furniture. All of Harry's personal effects had disappeared. But, as well as that, the window was smashed. The walls chipped, the table had broken into pieces. Uncle Vernon was so furious that he smashed his fist into the wall. The wall gave way, and Vernon Dursley's fist drove straight through the plasterboard.

He screamed: 'PETUNIA! HE'S GONE! THE LITTLE SHIT'S DISAPPEARED!'

Petunia Dursley raced into Harry's bedroom. She saw the damage, and she saw how bare the room was. On the outside, she appeared angry. But on the inside, Petunia Dursley smiled, happy that her nephew, her sister's son, had escaped Vernon's beatings.

* * *

**So, there we are the first chapter of my new book. It is pretty brutal. I despised myself, and actually felt sick writing that first part, about the punishment. Dudley's not on his diet, yet, because I think at this point, they're still debating with the school nurse.**

**But it has asked a lot of questions; will Dumbledore send Harry back to the Dursley's Now or next summer? What about the Quidditch World Cup? Who is Harry's legal guardian meant to be?**

**Find out by staying tuned in.**

**I appreciate if you review, and please check out my other story; "Hermione Granger – First Year: Hogwarts and New Friends"**

**Update soon! **

**SeekerGranger**


	2. Rehabilitation

**_A/N: _****So, here's the second chapter. It's mainly discussions and such. Yes, Harry wakes up.**

**Thanks for the overwhelming incredible response! Here's the second chapter as a bonus gift for those reviews (this is a one-time thing, I don't hold chapters hostage and I don't generally release stuff early).**

**5,208 words**

**For reference: Harry was beaten up on July 16****th****. This chapter starts on July 17****th****.**

**Disclaimer: the majority of the characters and settings in this story are not original; they belong to Her Majesty Joanne Rowling the First. Some characters are however original. Any relation to any person; whether alive or dead, is purely accidental and coincidental, other than where the author states otherwise.**

**Rated T for language.**

**Please Read and Review.**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Rehabilitation**

Albus Dumbledore was not pleased. At the moment, he was pacing the room, worried. Two weeks was not enough time for the blood magic to recharge. Harry had to go back to. But how was he to get around it. There was Ronald. But he, by himself would not be able to persuade Harry to return. He would, perhaps, have to recruit the muggle-born. Yes, Granger would be a good option.

Thankfully, Dumbledore knew that Harry wouldn't go public with his story. Harry was, after all shy of the media. And such things as suffering domestic abuse for thirteen years would push the spotlight onto him for weeks. It would also send tides of shockwaves across the wizarding world. So, thankfully, for now, Dumbledore's reputation would be fine. But the boy must see reason.

Once Molly calmed down, he was sure he would be able to take him back to the Dursley's, though Molly did say something about the World Cup. Dumbledore sighed. He didn't like himself for sending Harry back, but he had to go. He would be so much easier to manipulate that way. The beatings and punishments that Harry had endured were a good tool, though this last attack had, admittedly, gone a little _too _far. But he would worry about that later. For now, he had to remind a few people about loyalties, and about financial aid.

* * *

At the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley, with the help of Madam Pomfrey, Ginny and Bill were preparing breakfast for everyone. The rest of the Weasley's were upstairs; getting dressed and washing up. Even now, in this moment of crisis, the usual bathroom routine was occurring, with the voices of the many Weasley children carrying downstairs.

'Bloody hell Ginny! Hurry up!' Ron's annoyed voice was heard over the loud sizzle of bacon.

'Ginny, why does it take you - every morning – half-an-hour in the bathroom?' the voice of Red Weasley was heard.

'Yeah Gin. When are you getting out? I kind of need to go quickly!' George added his own voice to the mix.

A door slammed and the shuffling of many pairs of feet was heard. 'There you prats. Now go battle over who's next!' Ginny said to her brothers, flustered.

The shuffling of a few pairs of feet was heard, along with 'oofs' and a 'Damn you!'. The door suddenly slammed, and a few voices groaned.

'Damn you Charles Weasley!' shouted Ron.

Mrs. Weasley sighed. Hermione looked over at her.

'Is it always like this?' she asked. Mrs. Weasley finished mixing the pancake batter, before nodding.

'Yes, it is. Today's relatively tame, but that would be because of Harry,' Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips at this, and a slight frown appeared on her face. 'At least it gives me enough time to get breakfast ready. Fred, George and Ron are the hungriest, as well as the slowest into the bathroom. So it works well.'

Mr. Weasley suddenly entered the room.

'Molly, dear, do you have anything to eat? I need to be at the Ministry very soon' he asked his wife.

'Yes, here, Arthur,' replied Mrs. Weasley, handing her husband a plate of toast and some scrambled eggs.

Mr. Weasley quickly wolfed it down. He gave his wife a kiss, during which Charlie exited the bathroom, another battle ensued, with George winning. Mr. Weasley then gathered his stuff and dropped the floo powder into the fireplace. He gave one last look at Harry, who was still lying peacefully on the magically enlarged couch, before saying to his wife: 'I'll probably be quite late, Molly!'

'Okay, Arthur!' called Mrs. Weasley from the kitchen. Mr. Weasley entered the fireplace and said "Ministry of Magic". He disappeared in a flare of green flames. He quickly spun through a variety of other wizard's fireplace, before being pushed out onto the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. He straightened up and dusted himself off, before joining the mass of Ministry employees, all of whom were making their way to their respective jobs; all, thankfully, unaware, that the Boy-Who-Lived had been so critically injured not five hours ago.

Mr. Weasley walked towards the lifts, and entered them. The lift carried him to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where Mr. Weasley stepped out of the elevator and made his way towards the Head's office. He arrived at eight fifty-seven, but before that, he felt confusion fill him; why was he here? He looked around and saw some white hair disappear around the corner.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Burrow, Ron and Hermione had decided to write a letter to Sirius. They had argued both points of the arguments for telling Sirius about Harry; with the end result being they would send him a note with Hedwig.

_Dear Sirius,_

_We are writing to you with bad news. This morning Harry showed up at the Burrow. He had a broken arm and nose, chipped teeth, a cut lip, swollen eyes and cracked ribs. From what we gather, Harry's uncle became unemployed last night, got drunk and blamed Harry. Ron's mum has taken care of him, with the help of Madam Pomfrey._

_Sirius, we urge you to NOT DO ANYTHING RASH! If you do, you may be captured and then sent to Azkaban, or given the Kiss, and then where would Harry be? Dumbledore also visited, and now everyone, including Mrs. Weasley, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall seem to have lost respect for him, after he attempted to insist that Harry should return after this ordeal._

_Don't do anything rash,  
Ron and Hermione_

Hermione was the one who had actually written the letter. Ron had simply signed it. Hedwig had quickly taken it out of their hands and had soared into the sunlight.

The duo went downstairs, where they were greeted quickly with a scene out of a movie. Mrs. Weasley and Madam Pomfrey were kneeling over Harry; wiping his forehead and applying more dittany. Bill, Charlie and the twins were standing near the door; all were wearing grim expressions. Ginny was sitting on the couch not occupied by Harry. Percy was nowhere to be seen.

Both Ron and Hermione joined Ginny on the couch. They al sat there, slightly grim. Mrs. Weasley turned to look at her eldest son: 'Bill, could you go to Gringotts and see about Harry's vault?'

Bill nodded: 'Okay, Mum.' He turned on the spot, and with a loud _crack _disappeared.

Fifteen minutes later, another _crack _resounded outside and the door opened to reveal Bill, looking thoughtful. Mrs. Weasley looked at him: 'Well?' she demanded.

'The goblins won't tell me. They don't care about my status. In fact, Harry's considered far too important, and so the information regarding him is far too privileged to divulge to even the majority of goblins. It's weird,' Bill added, 'most goblins can easily access information regarding people families like the Malfoys and Black. But apparently, the Potter family has always been privilege. Harry and his magical guardian are the only ones that can go there.'

Mrs. Weasley nodded, understanding more than Bill ever could.

* * *

At that very moment, Sirius Black was nervous. He had not heard from his godson in a week. He had been contemplating visiting him since two days ago. He decided to go. Who knows? Maybe it would frighten the Dursley's some more?

He apparated to Little Whinging, Surrey and changed into his dog form. However, before he could even walk forward, a large, snowy owl landed on the signpost beside him. He recognised it as Hedwig, Harry's owl. He barked, turned around and walked into the forest behind him. Hedwig followed.

There, Sirius changed back and read the letter. He was now furious. He considered running towards the Dursley's and teaching them a lesson, but Hermione's warning, for it was definitely Hermione and not Ron who had wrote the letter, was correct. If he did something rash, he would not get a chance to live with his godson.

Sirius knew where the Burrow was. He disapparated to Ottery St. Catchpole, and began his run, as a dog, towards the Burrow.

* * *

At the Burrow, the Weasley's were waiting for Harry to come out of the coma. Madam Pomfrey had stopped the magic that was inducing it, and it was now up to Harry to wake up.

Standing in the living room were Bill, Ron, the twins, Ginny, Madam Pomfrey, Mrs. Weasley and Hermione. Charlie and Percy were at a meeting regarding the Triwizard Tournament, while Mr. Weasley was still with Amelia Bones.

The Burrow was silent. No one had spoken in about half-an-hour. They were all watching Harry, waiting for him to wake up. So much of what would occur depended on what Harry would do, and when he actually woke up and was healthy enough to move around. For now, however, they were stuck in limbo, all of their next actions orbiting Harry.

A dog barked in the distance, but the Weasley's paid no attention, continuing to look upon the pale face of the Boy-Who-Lived. Hermione thought he looked so peaceful in sleep. He also looked so innocent. How anyone could do the damage that she had seen - when that special spell had been cast - was beyond her.

The dog they heard earlier barked again, this time much closer, as if the dog was just a few dozen feet away. Hermione looked up. She knew that bark. _No, _she thought, _surely not! He wouldn't come here, would he?_ She looked around at Ron, who was just as alert as they were. They began to rush towards the door, just as the Weasley's looked at each other in confusion over the dog.

Suddenly, a loud knocking sounded around the living room. Bill, who was closest to the door, opened it, and stared in shock at whoever was there. Ron and Hermione reached the door and also stared. Bill opened the door further, showing the rest of the Weasley's who it was. Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Madam Pomfrey all screamed, while the twins and Bill pulled their wands out

There, in the doorway, with his face pale and flustered with anger, stood Sirius Black.

'Where the fuck is my godson?' thundered Sirius Black.

'No! NO! You won't touch him! YOU WON'T!' screamed Mrs. Weasley, standing in front of Harry's couch. She pulled out her wand. Ron and Hermione ran in front of Sirius.

'Mum, it's okay! Let us explain!' shouted Ron. At this, the Weasley's and Madam Pomfrey turned to look at Ron, in confusion.

'What the bloody hell do you mean?' demanded Bill, in anger over the fact that his youngest brother was protecting this mass murderer.

Ron explained very quickly Sirius' story. By the end of the story, everyone was shocked, but Fred and George still refused to believe their brother.

'Prove it,' said George, narrowing his eyes at Sirius. Sirius looked at him in exasperation, before changing into a large black dog. At this, Mrs. Weasley fainted. Madam Pomfrey scrambled to her and brought her out of unconsciousness. She looked up at Sirius.

'How the hell did you know Harry was here?!' she demanded.

'We've kept in contact over the summer. But the last time I heard from him was a week ago. In fact,' he said, turning to look at Ron and Hermione, 'I had just apparated to Surrey, when Hedwig landed beside me with your letter. When I read it, I was furious. But I knew that you were right, and that the Dursley's would be dealt with appropriately.'

'Sirius, who else knows about your innocence?' asked Mrs. Weasley, suddenly getting nervous.

At this, Sirius' face darkened. 'Dumbledore, Pettigrew and Voldermort,' he said, ignoring the winces from everyone in the room. 'Now then, can I please see my godson?' he asked. Without waiting for an answer, he walked over to Harry's couch. He looked down upon his best friend's son and smiled sadly. How anyone could do such a thing to such an innocent boy was beyond him.

While he was watching over his godson, Madam Pomfrey and the Weasley's explained to Sirius, in detail about what had happened when Harry had arrived, and what the damage was. A clock suddenly chimed. Mrs. Weasley looked at the family clock and saw that her husband and second-oldest son were coming. She looked over at Sirius.

'Sirius, we'll have to explain the situation to Arthur,' she said.

Sirius looked up and nodded. 'I understand,' was all he said.

Ten minutes later, they heard two loud pops outside. A few moments later, the door opened and in came Mr. Weasley and Charlie. They were talking quietly to each other, but stopped short when they saw Sirius.

'Arthur, don't do anything stupid. He's already explained everything to us, and we're in agreement that his story makes sense,' said Mrs. Weasley, shuffling over to restrain her husband, should the need arise. Bill shuffled over to Charlie, just in case.

'What – How – Why – I-, 'stammered Mr. Weasley. Charlie looked just as aghast.

Mrs. Weasley explained to her husband and son the situation. The two received a demonstration of Sirius' Animagus abilities. In the end, the two were compelled to believe that Sirius' story was true.

Mrs. Weasley suddenly remembered her third son. 'Oh dear,' she said, looking at Mr. Weasley.

'What is it, Molly?' asked Mr. Weasley, looking at her, concerned.

'Percy,' said Mrs. Weasley. Mr. Weasley's face was confused for a second, before understanding dawned on his face. He turned to Sirius.

'Sirius, you will have to find somewhere to stay, and not here at the Burrow,' said Mr. Weasley anxiously.

Sirius looked up at the Weasley's with a confused face. 'Why?' he asked.

'Percy, our third son, is, well, how I should put this?' said Mr. Weasley.

'A prat?' suggested Fred.

'A disgrace to the Weasley name?' George added. Mrs. Weasley glared at him.

'A ministry-loving-' said Fred.

'-Law-abiding–'continued George.

'-rule-loving-'added Fred.

'-citizien?' finished George.

'Well, yes, that, I guess,' he admitted, looking at his twin sons. He looked back at Sirius: 'He won't understand. He won't understand at all. He will jump at the opportunity to catch you. He loves his career. It would give him a massive boost. You're going to have to go somewhere.'

'Where?' asked Sirius, in a strained voice.

The Weasley's all looked at each other, not really knowing what to say. Inspiration suddenly struck George. He turned to his father/ 'What about the shed, dad? Percy never goes in there. He secretly thinks what you do is stupid,' he said, completely honestly.

'I think that's a great idea. Come on, Sirius, I'll show you the shed,' said Mr. Weasley, slightly disappointed in the revelations about his third son's thoughts about him.

Mrs. Weasley suddenly gasped: 'Arthur, he's coming!'

Mr. Weasley took a hold of Sirius and Disapparated straight out of the living room. A loud pop resonated outside, and not a minute later, the door opened and in came Percy.

'Hello, all. Just been in a meeting. How's Harry?' asked Percy, not noticing the stillness in the room.

Charlie jumped in: 'Harry's fine. Should be waking up soon. Anyway, as I was saying, the Ministry wants three dragons for the end of November,' he said, trying to shift Percy's attention. It worked.

Percy looked furious at his older brother: 'Charlie! What have you told them! You know that they're not to know until September!' he raged.

'Relax, Perce. I haven't told any details,' Charlie replied, smiling at his brother.

'Haven't told anyone about what?' asked Ron, curious as to why the Ministry would need three dragons.

'That, Ronald, is privileged information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it, which is, I believe in September,' Mr. Weasley answered Ron's question, as he walked into the room.

'Hello, Father,' said Percy, turning his attention to him.

'Hello Perce. How was the meeting?' asked Mr. Weasley.

'Oh, good, good. Mr. Crouch was a bit peeved that he didn't know why aurors were investigating around,' said Percy, slightly crestfallen.

'Oh, cheer up, Perce! He'll forget about it by tomorrow!' said George, with an evil smile plastered on his face.

'Yeah, I can already see tomorrow. He'll be as happy as Sirius Black was when he was imprisoned,' said Fred, smiling knowingly. The rest of the Wesley's gaped at him, but Percy seemed oblivious to this.

'Is there anything to eat, Mother?' he asked Mrs. Weasley.

'Oh, yes, follow me,' she answered, recovering from the shock of her sons joke. As she led Percy to the kitchen, both George and Hermione smacked Fred around the head.

'Prat,' said George, but he was smiling.

* * *

Just before bedtime, the Burrow was a hectic mess. Sleeping arrangements had to be made, so that someone would sleep downstairs with Harry. It was decided that Madam Pomfrey would take the other couch, while Hermione would sleep on the floor. The rest of the Weasley's went to their respective beds and were all quickly asleep.

The morning dawned bright and early, as the sun shone through the windows of the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley was already up and making breakfast. Madam Pomfrey was in the bathroom, and Hermione was just waking up.

Mr. Weasley came downstairs, along with Percy. Hermione got up and saw that Harry was now lying on his side, seemingly asleep. Hermione realised that Harry would probably wake up soon. She went to the bathroom, and after bidding Madam Pomfrey a good morning had a shower.

Meanwhile, the Weasley twins were plotting on how congratulate Harry on his recovery when he woke up. The Weasley twins always woke up early. After all, it was the best time to prepare any prank; while everyone else was still asleep.

Charlie also got up early every day, as did Bill. Both usually had jobs to do. Bill had been reprimanded yesterday for delving into the Potter accounts and was now on temporary leave, which had been forced. He had not told his mother this, as she would worry. Harry would also blame himself, if Hermione's analysis was anything to go by.

Charlie, on the other hand, had to join his father in going to the Ministry, where he would take a portkey to Romania to the Dragon Reserve.

After having breakfast; Mr. Weasley, Percy and Charlie all left for the Ministry, after a rather tearful Mrs. Weasley had hugged Charlie. Hermione and Madam Pomfrey were in the kitchen, having breakfast and discussing Healing. Hermione was surprised to find that she enjoyed this conversation with the School Nurse. Madam Pomfrey was actually quite a kind woman, but was strict when it came to healing students, as any alterations from her deemed plan could result in permanent injury.

At about nine-thirty, Bill, Ron and Ginny came downstairs, while Sirius came in through the back door. All of them, except Sirius, clustered around the dining room, where they had breakfast. Sirius had his breakfast by Harry, watching as his godson slept.

Harry suddenly stirred and yawned. Sirius dropped his plate (it landed on the couch and left a mess) and rushed to Harry's side. The others noticed this and also rushed over. Harry opened his eyes and blinked. He looked up to see a blurry face. He reached out for his glasses, and found that his arm weighed about a ton. Sirius practically shoved the glasses onto Harry's face.

Harry blinked some more, and then smiled as his godfather's face came into focus.

'Hey, Sirius,' he whispered in a hoarse voice. Madam Pomfrey shoved Sirius aside before he could answer back.

'Here, Potter, drink this. You are most likely extremely thirsty and hungry,' commanded Madam Pomfrey.

Harry sat up, slowly, and took the potion out of Madam Pomfrey's hands and shakily bought it to his lips. He drank it, and almost immediately, blood rushed to his face, as he felt more energetic and stronger. He looked around and saw the vast majority of the Weasley's there. That was when he threw a questionable glance at Hermione and Sirius.

'What are you two doing here?' he asked, confused.

'Well, Ron called me about what happened, and I came immediately over,' said Hermione.

'They then sent me a letter, and I rushed over here last night, pup. The Weasley's have all accepted my innocence, except for Percy, who doesn't know I'm here. But, what else did you expect me to do when I found out about what happened?' said Sirius, smiling.

_What happened, _Harry thought. Then, suddenly, he remembered. The onslaught of images was immense and he cried out. Sirius' smirk changed to a worried look.

'Potter, calm down, it is not uncommon to see what happened in a rapid flashback,' Madam Pomfrey took control. Harry calmed down, and nodded.

The next few hours passed with Harry being steadily fed food. Mrs. Weasley sent a message to her husband, saying that Harry had woken up.

That evening saw Sirius return to the shed, along with Harry, Ron and Hermione. The rest of the Weasley's spent their time doing various things before eating dinner, and then, finally, going to bed.

* * *

The following day saw Sirius sitting down next to Harry.

'Harry, we will need to visit Gringotts soon, to attempt to find your parents Will,' he began. Harry frowned, he had been told about Dumbledore last night by a fuming Hermione. He, himself, no longer trusted the old man. He also suspected that Dumbledore would try to do something to win his trust.

'How about the first of the month?' suggested Harry.

Sirius thought about it. It was the day after Harry's birthday, so perhaps it wasn't a bad idea. Before they could continue, they were interrupted by Mr. Weasley.

'Harry, we've been intending to invite you to the final of the World Cup' he said happily.

'Oh, I simply know Ludo Bagman, the Head of the Department of Magical Sport. He's given me a bunch of Box Seats. They're at the top. It's where the two teams will be after the game for the trophy presentation. The Ministers of Magic for the involved nations will also be there,' said Mr. Weasley.

'When is it? And where are we up to now?' asked Harry.

'The third quarter-final is being played this week. The final is in the second-to-last week of August,' Mr. Weasley replied.

Harry smiled, and turned towards Sirius. 'What do you think?' he asked.

'You should go,' said Sirius, wistfully.

'You should as well,' stated Harry, 'just get some Polyjuice Potion and come with us!'

Sirius considered this. He looked at Arthur. 'What do you think, Arthur?' he asked.

'You could go. We don't even need Polyjuice. Just put on some glamours and you'll be fine,' replied Mr. Weasley.

'Then I'm going!' said Sirius happily. 'It will be hilarious being there, knowing that I'm right under the Ministry's nose, and they don't know it! Ha!'

Mr. Weasley smiled at this. He would have to get one more ticket.

* * *

The next week passed rather quickly. Harry continued to recover, after his ordeal. Bill returned to work, after finding that Bill had a reason for asking about the Potter Will. The goblins still refused to tell him anything, but he was now off of suspension. Percy continued to work for Mr. Crouch. Mr. Weasley was splitting his time between his own office, and Amelia Bones' office. The case against Vernon Dursley was now building up. Harry was still a bit too weak to play Quidditch with the rest, so instead, he sat with Hermione and watched Fred, George, Rona and Ginny play two-a-side Quidditch. Madam Pomfrey returned to Hogwarts, but visited the Burrow every day to check up on Harry.

A week after waking up, and with a week until his birthday, Sirius pulled Harry and Hermione into the shed to talk.

'Well, first of all, Harry, to put it bluntly, you're short and skinny for your age,' said Sirius, seriously.

Harry looked at Sirius in confusion. He knew he was skinny and short, but what was to help him?

'The Dursley's kept you malnuritied, which had resulted in your not being the right height and weight,' continued Sirius. 'There are, however, potions that can help.'

Harry looked up at this. 'What kind of potions?' he asked his godfather.

'There are a few that you would have to take. Poppy probably has some in her private stores. But, you have to understand, that, when you start taking them, you will have to begin training,' Sirius told his godson.

'Training?' questioned Harry, with raised eyebrows.

'Running, weight training, swimming, that kind of thing,' replied Sirius.

Harry looked up at his godfather and nodded. 'Okay, I'll do it,' he nodded.

Sirius smiled. 'Good. There are three potions you have to take. The first restores you to your full energy potential. The second is a potion that brings you to your intended height, at your age. The third is a training-boosting potion. It essentially accelerates the growth of muscles, if combined with about four weeks of training. If you take them now, you'll go to Hogwarts as, essentially, a hunk,' Sirius said.

Hermione giggled at this, while Harry felt slightly annoyed. He nodded, 'Okay,' he said.

'The other thing that I want to talk to both of you about is becoming Animagus,' Sirius said, looking at Hermione. She stopped giggling and was immediately interested.

'It will take a year or two of work, with a number of potions thrown in, but eventually you should become Animagus. Though I suggest you register with the Ministry, unlike me,' added Sirius.

Hermione looked awed. 'You'd help us? You'd help us become Animagus?' she asked. Sirius nodded. 'But what about Ron?' she asked.

Sirius pursed his lips. 'Something tells me that Ronald wouldn't have the patience to wait a year or two to become Animagus,' he said simply.

Both Harry and Hermione thought about this, and both silently agreed that their friend wouldn't have the patience for it.

'Thank you Sirius, for both offers,' he said.

Sirius smiled. 'We'll get the potions tomorrow, but Hermione; please don't tell anyone, not even Ron. It should remain a private thing. Understand?' Sirius asked Hermione.

Hermione nodded. She understood. Ron would probably become jealous and the rest of the Weasley's would be wary of Harry and Sirius.

'Also, I think we should make an appointment with the goblins,' said Sirius. 'They are generally unhappy when you simply come unannounced.'

Harry nodded, silently thanking his godfather for the idea.

* * *

The following day saw Harry get his new potions from Madam Pomfrey. He took all three, though he spaced them apart at the instructions of both Madam Pomfrey and Sirius. As soon as he had finished drinking the third potion, Sirius had practically dragged him out, and had begun training Harry.

The first week of training was extremely sore for Harry. But by his birthday, Harry could run fast and far, could lift quite a bit and do other things he couldn't do before. He was also less sore.

The appointment with Gringotts had been made, and with it came a rather curious letter, from the goblins:

_Dear Mr. Potter_

_We are pleased that you have set up an appointment with us to discuss your inheritance and other such things._

_As you no doubt, by now know, from one of our wizards – by the name of William Arthur Weasley -, we are extremely secure regarding the Potter Vault, and any other vaults that fall under your possession. This is why we advise you to NOT take any of the Weasley's with you, when you come to this appointment. We also strongly urge against the involvement of one Albus Dumbledore. The reasons for this will be explained upon your arrival._

_We can, however, confirm you as the Scion of the Potter House, and the only direct heir to this line. There are also a number of other lines, but they are far too sensitive for this letter._

_We have provided you with a portkey in this letter. It will take you and exactly TWO other companion directly to our bank._

_We await your arrival on August first,_

_Ragnuk,  
Dormant Accounts Manager,  
Gringotts Wizarding Bank_

Harry was slightly surprised by the tone of the letter, but decided to accept it. He wanted to ask Sirius to come along, but knew he couldn't do that. So he resigned himself to the fact that he would probably go alone to find out about his inheritance.

* * *

Harry's birthday was a loud and joyous affair. Percy was, thankfully, to busy at work to attend, which allowed Sirius to be at the actual party, without causing a massive scene.

Harry enjoyed his birthday. Everyone gave him a present. From Mr. and Mrs. Weasley he got a broomstick polishing kit. From the twins, he got a box of Chocolate Frogs. Bill and Charlie gave him a dragon-skin pouch, for keeping as much as a thousand galleons. Ron gave him a box of Sugar Mice, while Ginny gave him a homemade card. Hermione sneaked him a book on becoming Animagus and Sirius sneaked him a book about weight training and running.

Mrs. Weasley outdid herself for his birthday. She made all sorts of salads, and meat dishes. The massive cake that she bought out was in the shape of a lightning bolt, something which gave everyone a laugh, though Harry only smiled at this.

The evening party continued well into the night, though Sirius had to go back to the shed when Percy came back home. Harry was extremely exhausted when he retired to his bed that night. He crashed onto his bed, and was asleep within minutes.

Sirius, however, cornered Hermione before she went up.

'Hermione, can you come with us tomorrow?' he asked the witch.

'Me?' said Hermione, surprised.

'Yes, you. You're the brightest witch of her generation, so you probably know quite a bit of law and other things,' said Sirius.

Hermione thought about it. She nodded: 'Okay.'

* * *

**Another chapter done. The next chapter is Gringotts! Yay! So, what will Harry find there? Is the will there? What about Sirius' innocence? Is something in the Potter vault that is irrefutable evidence of his innocence? What could it be (if it's there at all)?**

**Find out by reading on! I can promise you one thing, a massive betrayal of trust!**

**I appreciate if you leave a review!**

**Please check out my other story: Hermione Granger: First Years – Hogwarts and Friends!**

**Thanks,  
SeekerGranger**


	3. Gringotts

**_A/N: _****So, time for the third chapter, which means, time for… Gringotts! This chapter resolves the whole guardianship issue. On that note, quite a few of you seem to have wanted Minerva. I'll say that it isn't her, but read on to find out!**

**Also, Minerva WILL be Harry's ally, later on though, when he returns to Hogwarts (which is the chapter I'm beginning this week – Chapter 8! Hehe! So far away, isn't it?)**

**9,768 words**

**Disclaimer: the majority of the characters and settings in this story are not original; they belong to Her Majesty Joanne Rowling the First. Some characters are however original. Any relation to any person; whether alive or dead, is purely accidental and coincidental, other than where the author states otherwise.**

**Rated T for language. **

**Please Read and Review.** **Also note: I may have some small Authors Interruptions to explain something!**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Gringotts**

The morning of August first dawned bright and warm, as schoolchildren around the country dreaded the fact that it was the last month of summer. The Burrow was, of course, no exception to such traditions, and the Weasley children woke up, feeling slightly nauseous at this very thought.

Harry, was, of course, an exception.. He was curious as to the contents of his vault. For three years, he had thought that he only had that one vault. But apparently it wasn't and Sirius had explained why: 'Most prominent families set up trust funds for their children, so it's no surprise really that you have one.' This had given Harry pause, though not because of the trust fund idea, mainly because of the "prominent" part of it. It had filled him with a sense of shame. He had not even bothered to find out about his family in three years. Just who were the Potter's? He decided that he would probably find out today.

After breakfast, Harry and Hermione decided to go to the shed, where Sirius used Hermione's wand to produce dummies of them. Hermione had been flabbergasted at this use of magic.

'I have the Trace, Sirius! She exclaimed. Sirius looked at her and smiled.

'Don't worry. This is a wizarding dwelling, so they can't actually differentiate between who actually cast the spell,' he explained. Hermione had looked rather shocked that she had not known this.

They proceeded to use the portkey that they had been given. Both Harry and Hermione asked why he hadn't disguised himself. He explained: 'They don't actually care. What's more, I was never convicted, meaning that they couldn't block me access. They probably know that I'm innocent as well. They have ways of knowing things like that,' he added, seeing Harry and Hermione's confused faces.

They landed on a marble floor, hard. Standing up, they looked around. It was about the size of a standard living room. An oak door in the corner opened and a goblin came in. He bowed before Harry and Sirius, before smiling at Hermione.

'Mr. Potter, Lord Black and Miss Granger, my name is Redblade and I am the 'Dormant Accounts' Manager here at Gringotts. Please follow me,' he said, turning around and leading them out of the door, and down some corridors and up a few flights of steps. They reached a rather comfortable waiting area, manned by a goblin secretary. The goblin looked up and said: 'They are waiting for you,' before returning to his work.

Harry, Sirius and Hermione followed Redblade into a very spacious and luxurious office. An oak office desk was in front of the window. It was, however, unoccupied. Harry looked around and saw a rather large wooden table beside the roaring fire. Six seats were positioned around the table. Two were currently occupied by goblins. The three of them followed Redblade to the table, positioning themselves around it, in such a way, that the goblins sat on one side, while the three humans sat on the other.

Redblade introduced his two companions. Gesturing at the middle goblin, he said: 'This is Narkook, the Director of the British branch of our bank. Sitting beside him is Ragnuk, the Accounts Manager for the Potter's.'

Harry looked at them and said: 'It is a pleasure to meet Director and Ragnuk.' Surprise flashed across the faces of Ragnuk and Redblade.

The Director simply smiled and, looking at them, began the long talk: 'Mr. Potter, there is a very great deal to discuss today. We shall begin with confirming that you are all who you say you are.' At this, Ragnuk pulled out three pieces of parchment. The Director took them and continued: 'This is Profile Parchment. It shows information regarding your magic, your inheritance and yourselves. All you need to do is drop a few drops of blood onto the parchment.' He handed the parchment over, along with needles.

Harry and the others pricked their fingers and dropped some blood onto the parchment. Sirius immediately handed his over to the Director, who took it and read aloud:

**_Gringotts Wizarding Bank_**

**_Inheritance and Magic Test_**

**_Name: _**_Sirius Orion Black  
**Sex: **Male  
**"Blood Status": **Pure-blood  
**Date of Birth (Age): **March 13, 1960  
**Parents: **Walburga and Orion Black_

**_Ancestors:_**

_Black – Lord (Father)_

**_Record:_**

_Thrown into Azkaban for crime he did NOT commit._

**_Magical Capabilities:_**

_Animagus – Black dog_

Sirius nodded, not surprised. The Director looked at him: 'Unfortunately, Lord Black, you cannot take possession of your ring just yet. The Ministry is closely monitoring your vault. That may soon change. Lucius Malfoy seems to believe that his son should take the reins as you are a "convicted murderer who shouldn't take what isn't his". He will attempt to have you go to trial, if you cannot be found.'

Sirius smiled. 'Bit rich, coming from him,' he said. The Director gave a small chuckle. He turned to Hermione: 'Perhaps you now, Miss Granger?' Hermione looked at the goblin. Harry could see what was troubling her. She handed over her parchment. She, at least, had looked it over. The Director took it and a moment later, he gave a small chuckle, before his face betrayed outrage. He handed the parchment over to Redblade. Redblade seemed to swear in Goblin. He read:

**_Gringotts Wizarding Bank_**

**_Inheritance and Magic Test_**

**_Name: _**_Hermione Jean Granger  
**Sex: **Female  
**"Blood Status": **Muggle-born  
**Date of Birth (Age): **September 19, 1979 (14)  
**Parents: **Robert Daniel Granger and Jane Elizabeth Granger (nee Roberts)  
**Familiar: **Crookshanks (Kneazle cat)_

**_Ancestors:_**

_Godric Gryffindor – 34th in line to succession (Mother)_

_Rowena Ravenclaw – 7th in line to succession (Mother)_

_Minerva McGonagall – Heir-apparent (replaces Harry James Potter) (through Angelica McGonagall, 1345-1412)_

**_Magical Capabilities:_**

_Natural Animagus – Unknown (100% block by one Albus Dumbledore)_

_Natural Occlumency shields (100% block by one Albus Dumbledore)_

_Natural Defence shield (50% block by one Albus Dumbledore)_

**_Influences:_**

_Loyalty Charms - towards Albus Dumbledore, Molly Weasley, Ronald Weasley and Minerva McGonagall (who is unaware) (since 1991)_

_Love Potion (small doses daily to fall into charm over two years) – towards Ronald Weasley (since 1994)_

Hermione, Harry and Ron looked ready to murder. The Director looked at Hermione. 'Miss Granger, we will check Mr. Potter first, for he no doubt has these charms as well. We will, however remove them for you, free of charge. This is because of other crimes committed by these four people against you. Not Minerva McGonagall, I should add. She, herself is being controlled. No doubt,' said the goblin.

Hermione nodded. At least her favourite professor wasn't lying. Now it was Harry's turn. He handed over the parchment. The Director looked at it, before his mouth opened in shock; with a mix of disbelief and anger. He read:

**_Gringotts Wizarding Bank_**

**_Inheritance and Magic Test_**

**_Name: _**_Harry James Merlin–Gryffindor-Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff-Windsor-Potter  
**Sex: **Male  
**"Blood Status": **Half-Blood  
**Date of Birth (Age): **July 31, 1980 (14)  
**Parents: **James Charles Potter and Lily Diana Evans  
**Familiar: **Hedwig (snowy owl)_

**_Ancestors:_**

_Potter – Scion (Father)_

_Windsor (Royal Family of Great Britain) – 14th in line to succession (Father, unknown to Muggles)_

_Merlin – Scion (Mother)_

_Peverell – Scion (Father)_

_Godric Gryffindor – Scion (Father and Mother)_

_Salazar Slytherin – Scion (Father and Right of Conquest)_

_Rowena Ravenclaw – Scion (Mother)_

_Helena Hufflepuff – Scion (Father)_

_Hogwarts – Scion (Father and Mother)_

_Black – Heir (Through Godfather Sirius Black)_

_Le Chanell (France) – Scion (Mother)_

_Abubakar(Ancient Egyptian Imperial Family)** –**Scion (Father)_

_Addario (Italian) – Scion (Father)_

_Friedmann (German) – Scion (Mother)_

**_Magical Capabilities:_**

_Natural Animagus – Unknown (100% block by one Albus Dumbledore)_

_Natural Occlumency shields - Unknown (100% block by one Albus Dumbledore)_

_Magical Core (90% block by one Albus Dumbledore)_

**_Influences:_**

_Loyalty Charms - towards Albus Dumbledore, Molly Weasley, Ronald Weasley, Ginerva Weasley and Minerva McGonagall (who is unaware) (since 1991)_

_Love Potion (small doses daily to fall into charm over two years) – towards Ginerva Weasley (since 1994)_

_Mind-Link – with one Tom Marvalo Riddle (known as Lord Voldermort)_

* * *

**_A/I: _****The foreign surnames have meanings. I actually researched some surnames:  
Le Chanell is made up, entirely. Abubakar means 'noble'. Addario means 'he who has goodness'. Friedmann means 'peaceman'.**

* * *

After this, everyone sat, shocked at the revelations.

Finally, the Director cleared his throat and began explaining: 'I'll start with the blocks. Blocking someone's abilities is incredibly horrendous and highly illegal. With such blocks, your magic doesn't have anywhere to go, and so turns into anger and emotion. That is the basic version of it.'

'Why though?' asked Hermione. The Director shrugged.

'Only Dumbledore knows why?' he said. 'Continuing on, however, those influences are also dangerous. The love potions were designed to keep you under the Weasley's control. Now, I will explain to you a bit later about the Weasley's and Dumbledore, for now, though, I'll hand over to Ragnuk. He has a few explanations.'

'Well, first of all, I can tell you that you have four families outside of Britain. The Le Chanell's were once considered to be the most influential in France, until they mysteriously disappeared, into the Muggle world it seems. The Abubakaris an ancient family. They were the Emperors of Ancient Egypt, and they were, in fact, wizards and witches. The Addario House is an Italian House which essentially founded Venice by itself, as well as helping the pontiff. The Friedmann House, however, resisted during World War Two against the Nazi regime and was therefore stripped of many of the artefacts, though after the war, all titles and most of the money was repaid. The artefacts were not recovered. Some are believed to have ended up in Hitler's own possession. They all have substantial accounts, though they are across the world,' Ragnuk said, still slightly amazed.

'You are considered the Heir to the Black Family, as that is what the Lord Black stated in his will. As for the Windsor's, they are the current Royal Family. That means that the Head of _that _House is the Queen herself. It means that you are the highest magical person on the list of succession, giving you extraordinary privileges. You will have to meet her and the Prime Minister, as well as outranking most of the Royal Family and every witch and wizard. Merlin, however, is truly a shock, more so that it comes from your mother, who never had an inheritance test of her own. The Potters, of course, you know. The Peverell Family is also surprising. They are believed to be the family from the popular fairytale _"The Tales of Beedle the Bard". _However, the fact that you are the heir to _all _four Houses of Hogwarts is unprecedented, not surprisingly, given that Ravenclaws line disappeared into the Muggle world. But I know for a fact that it comes with special privileges. We Goblins have a special book given to us by the Four Founders. Another copy is at Hogwarts, and another at the Ministry,' Ragnuk continued.

Harry and Hermione sat there, stunned at what they were hearing. Harry had a sudden question: 'What about Hogwarts? What does it mean?'

'Ah, yes, well, you see, Hogwarts itself is considered a family. It can only be inherited by an "Heir to the Founders", all _four _Founders, might I add. That hasn't happened in nine-hundred and sixty years, by the way.'

'What does it mean? Well, you're the single most powerful person on the planet, in the muggle world as well. I have the account information here, and I'll get the additional information now. But first, here is the Will of your parents. It was sealed by Dumbledore, but you deserve it,' said Ragnuk, handing over an envelope. He stood up and went to retrieve some ancient records. Harry took the letter out and opened it. He read:

**_The Last Will and Testament  
of  
Lord James Charles Potter  
and his wife  
Lady Lily Diana Potter (nee Evans)_**

**_Article I, _**_we state that we are both sane and sound of mind._

**_Article II, _**_we state that five million Galleons is to be transferred to Remus J. Lupin, our "furry" friend._

**_Article III, _**_we state that a trust fund, to the sum of one-hundred and fifty thousand Galleons is to be set up for our son, Harry James Potter. This is to take care of all expenses. This fund is to be refilled every July first to the original amount._

**_Article IV, _**_we state that five million Galleons is to go to our friend, Alice Longbottom, and her husband Frank Longbottom._

**_Article V, _**_we determine the following line of guardianship for our son, Harry James Potter:  
**1) **Sirius Orion Black (Harry's godfather)  
**2) **Alice Longbottom (Harry's godmother)  
**3) **Amelia Bones (James' mentor and good friend)  
**4) **Minerva McGonagall (our good friend and mentor)  
**5) **Remus Lupin (our friend)_

**_Article VI, _**_we state that ALL of our remaining assets are to be given to our son, Harry James Potter, when he comes of age._

**_Article VII, _**_we declare, that, MOST IMPORTANTLY, our son, Harry James Potter is to NOT be given, under ANY circumstances, whether they be magical or mundane, to his aunt, Petunia Dursley (nee Evans) and her husband, Vernon Dursley._

_ANY alteration will be automatically considered an offence and we give GRINGOTTS WIZARDING BANK the right to charge any offender._

_Signed,  
James Charles Potter and Lily Diana Potter_

_Witnessed by,  
Amelia Bones and Alice Longbottom_

Harry was furious. 'Dumbledore knew! He knew that I wasn't to be sent there! And who is this Amelia Bones?'

Sirius answered: 'She's the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It is reasonable to assume, however, that Dumbledore altered her memory regarding the signing of Lily and James' Will. Alice Longbottom is your godmother; she cannot care for you or her own son, however.' Sirius said this last part with an extraordinary amount of sadness.

Seeing they were going to question him, he held up his hands: 'I know that her son is Neville, who you two know. Anyway, you'll have to ask him about it. It isn't my place to tell you.'

'What about Remus and McGonagall?' demanded Harry, upset.

Sirius answered with a heavy sigh: 'Their minds were probably altered as well.'

At this point, Ragnuk came scrambling in, carrying a large box. He placed this box on the table, where he opened it and took out the top piece of parchment. He handed this to Harry, who opened it and began to read:

**_Summary of Accounts  
for  
Harry James Potter_**

Harry looked up, eyebrows raised. Ragnuk nodded and said: It is extensive, and lists everything major. Harry nodded and continued to read:

**_Please note: Black Family Assets are not available to Mr. Harry James Potter. Some Windsor possessions available, they are stored at the Tower of London's Magical Vault._**

**_The Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter:  
Property: _**_Potter Manor, Summer Home (Godric's Hollow), plus fifteen additional properties  
**Money: **12,233,173,396,706 Galleons, 17,985 Sickles, 375 Knuts,  
**Vault: **Personal effects, Weaponry, Art, Artefacts, total worth estimated at 15 million Galleons, plus sentimental value  
**Shares:  
Wizarding: **Nimbus Broomstick Racing Company (75%), Daily Prophet (35%), Ollivander's Wand Shop (2%), other companies  
**Muggle: **Coca-Cola (5%), Apple, (5%), Rolls-Royce (10%), Tiffany's & Co. (5%), other companies_

At this, Ragnuk interrupted: 'The muggle purchases were made by your grandfather and mother, both believed that there was business to be made from the Muggle World.' Harry nodded and continued, very shocked at the extreme wealth:

**_Dividends per annum (1993-94): _**_450 million Galleons  
**House-elves: **77 elves_

**_The Ancient and Most Exceptional House of Merlin:  
Property: _**_Merlin Castle (location available to heirs only)  
**Money: **850,598,005,879 Galleons, 124,500 Sickles, 4 Knuts  
**Vault: **Personal effects, Art, Weaponry, total worth estimated at 370 thousand Galleons  
**Shares: **None_

**_The Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell:  
Property: _**_None  
**Money: **135,056 Galleons, 8 Knuts  
**Vault: **Personal effects  
**Shares: **Nimbus Broomstick Racing Company (1%)  
**Dividends per annum (1993-94): **10,096 Galleons_

**_The Most Esteemed House of Gryffindor:  
Property: _**_Scottish Highlands Castle (350 year lease to McGonagall House, 57 years remain), Godric's Hollow cottage.  
**Money: **17, 354 Galleons, 5 Knuts  
**Vault: **Personal effects, Weaponry, Art, Artefacts, total worth estimated at 2.7 million Galleons  
**Shares: **None  
**House-elves: **7_

**_The Most Esteemed House of Slytherin:  
_**_Transferred to Gaunt House, all assets sold between 1840's and 1950's. Gaunt's denied claim after Gringotts deemed family "too inbred and insane"_

**_The Most Esteemed House of Ravenclaw:  
Property: _**_Ravenclaw Palace (Wales)  
**Money: **14,945,294 Galleons, 34 Sickles  
**Vault: **Personal effects, Art, Weaponry, Artefacts, total worth estimated at 14 million Galleons  
**Shares: **None  
**House-elves: **1_

**_The Most Esteemed House of Hufflepuff:  
Property: _**_None  
**Money: **973 Galleons, 3 Sickles, 1 Knut  
**Vault: **Art  
**Shares: **None_

**_Hogwarts House:  
Property: _**_Hogwarts Castle, The Shrieking Shack, various Hogsmeade properties  
**Money: **135,956,234 Galleons, 234,500 Sickles, 1,209,394 Knuts  
**Vault: **None (all stored at Castle)  
**Establishments/Companies:** Hogwarts  
**Please note: Hogwarts House vault and money is available to Hogwarts administration, but Mr. Potter can overrule Headmaster**_

**_Hogwarts Lord:  
Property: _**_Founder's Palace  
**Money: **175,039,283,293 Galleons, 273,968,735 Sickles, 578,492,281 Knuts  
**Vault: **Unknown items and worth (enchantments allow only Founder's Heir to enter)  
**Shares: **None  
**House-elves: **125 (on permanent loan to Hogwarts, but able to be summoned by Lord)_

**_The Most Grande House of Le Chanell:  
Properly: _**_Le Chanell Villa (Marseilles), Le Chanell Winery (Marseilles), Silver Palace (Western France), Swiss Alps Retreat  
**Money (at Gringotts Paris and 17% at Gringotts Zurich): **135,384,202 Galleons, 975,694 Sickles, 37,392 Knuts  
**Vault (at Gringotts Paris): **Personal effects, Art, Weaponry, Artefacts, total worth estimated at 23 million Galleons  
**Shares: **Marseilles Meerkats (Quidditch Team)  
**House-elves: **6_

**_The Most Imperial House of Abubakar:  
Property: _**_Abubakar Temple (ruin), Pharaoh's Temple (ruin)  
**Money (at Gringotts Cairo): **256,406,203,294 Galleons, 456,708,273 Sickles, 36,372 Knuts  
**Vault (at Gringotts Cairo): **Personal effects, Art, Weaponry, Artefacts, total worth estimated at 3,456 million Galleons  
**Shares: **None  
**House-elves: **35_

**_The Most Magnificent House of Addario:  
Property: _**_Addario Palace (Venice)  
**Money (at Gringotts Venice): **134,456,273,278 Galleons, 345,394 Sickles, 3,209 Knuts  
**Vault: **Weaponry, Art, Artefacts, Personal effects, total worth estimated at 134,405,858 Galleons  
**Shares: **Ferrari (10%)  
**Dividends per annum (1993-94): **950,000 Galleons  
**House-elves: **4_

**_The Most Esteemed House of Friedmann:  
Property: _**_Friedmann Retreat (west of Berlin)  
**Money (at Gringotts Berlin): **84,958,456 Galleons  
**Vault: **None (all seized by German Ministry of Magic under Nazi regime)  
**Shares: **Mercedes-Benz (3%)  
**Dividends per annum (1993-94): **1.1 million Galleons_

**_Total Worth:_**

**_Property: _**_51 properties (spanning Britain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and Egypt, see list attached)  
**Money (spread across various centres): **approximately 13,650,044,550,000 Galleons, 732,375,118 Sickles, 579,779,041 Knuts  
**Vault Worth (across various centres):** approximately 3,645,500,000 Galleons  
**Shares: **1239 various companies (see list attached)  
**Dividends per annum (1993-94): **approximately 452 million Galleons  
**House-elves (across Europe): **255_

Harry looked up from this. 'Wow' he breathed. He looked over at his two companions. Sirius was shocked, more so that his best friends would keep something like this to themselves. Hermione, however, was beaming, though her face quickly darkened at something.

'I don't think we should tell the Weasley's about this. At least, not yet,' said Hermione.

At this, the Director interrupted: 'Miss Granger is right, but for reasons she even, does not know about. I regret to inform you, Mr. Potter that Molly Prewett Weasley, Ronald Bilus Weasley, Ginerva Molly Weasley and Albus Dumbledore have all been stealing from you.' Harry looked around at this, his face paling.

The Director continued: 'Upon your letter requesting an appointment, we began an audit of your vaults. Albus Dumbledore has been stealing from you. From 1981 onwards, he has sent five thousand Galleons to the private vault of a "scholarship vault". Molly Weasley had access to this vault, and emptied it on the twentieth of each month. This was so her husband did not discover the money. Five years later, both Ronald and Ginerva set up their own negotiations under that "scholarship" vault, and began receiving payments. It seems that Miss Weasley was promised your hand, while Miss Granger was offered to Ronald.'

At this Hermione paled. But it was Sirius who asked a question: 'Was there a contract?', he asked, hesitantly.

The Director nodded. Sirius paled. The Director however turned to Harry: 'Albus Dumbledore and Molly Weasley signed a betrothal contract for you and young Ginerva. This contract was for Lord Potter-Peverell, however. If you assume all your responsibilities, however, the contract will be void, as your title would become entirely different,' finished the goblin, smiling.

Sirius seemed to take charge: 'How much did they steal?'

Ragnuk answered: 'Close to five million Galleons.'

At this, the Director smiled. 'We were, however, able to protect the Potter account. We _accidentally _had a typo, where it said the Potter and Peverell vaults together were only worth about twenty million Galleons,' he said.

Sirius and Hermione were puzzled at this. 'Why would you care? They're a wizarding family,' said Hermione.

The Director looked at Hermione curiously. 'It is because the House of Potter is allied with the Goblin Nation, Mr. Potter,' he said.

'What?' said Harry, slightly alarmed.

The Director decided that it was time for a history lesson. 'A thousand years ago, the Potter Account was one of Gringotts biggest, it still is, obviously. But during the first Goblin Rebellion in the 12th century, it was the Potter's who allied themselves with us. The then-Lord Potter believed we should have our rights, and so we remained stable with the Potter's, who had and have enormous political influence. We goblins have had various allies over the years, but the Potter's have, not once, faltered in their alliance. It is so strong that we value the Potter Family above all others. It means you receive such gifts. In fact, since the fourteenth century, it has been a tradition for goblins to gift Potter heirs with three gifts over their lifetime. The first you received when you were born; it was a small wooden toy which is popular amongst our own young. The second gift you should have received on your eleventh birthday, while the third should have been given when you came of age. You are, however, here right now, so I shall be very honoured to present you with the gifts,' finished Ragnuk.

He summoned another goblin, with whom he quietly chatted. The goblin left, and then returned five minutes later, with a small box. Ragnuk took the box and dismissed the goblin. He opened the box and took out the first gift.

'Here is the first gift Lord Potter, it was recovered from Godric's Hollow shortly after that fateful night,' said Ragnuk, handing Harry a wooden toy. It seemed to be a small spinning top. Harry placed it on Ragnuk's desk and spun it. It spun quickly, and Harry smiled at the sentimentality.

Ragnuk proceeded to take out the next gift, which he quickly handed to Harry. 'This is a very special goblin-made dagger, Lord Potter. One that you can keep in the family, by the way,' he said.

Harry looked up from studying the dagger, which was made of brilliant blood-red rubies, and looked quizzically at Ragnuk. 'What do you mean?' he asked.

Ragnuk proceeded to explain how goblins believed that _selling _something really meant _renting-for-the-span-of-your-life, _and how, because of the alliance, the Potter Family was completely immune from such things.

Once they finished this conversation, they returned to another point.

'What are we going to do?' asked Hermione.

'First we must take Mr. Potter down to the Founder's vault.' The Director turned to address Harry: 'No one has entered that vault in almost a millennium. The reason is that only true Heirs can enter. They will, however, be tested first. So come with me,' he said, sliding out of his seat. He walked towards the exit. Harry and Hermione stood up and followed him. He led them through a series of doorways, until coming to the carts that would take them done. He climbed in and beckoned for them to follow. They climbed into the cart, and Ragnuk drove the cart off almost straight away.

It took some half-an-hour to get to the entrance to the vault. They passed many, _many _vaults, going deeper and deeper. Harry had asked Ragnuk just how deep they were, and he had replied that they were about ten thousand feet underground. It was surprisingly warm done here. Ragnuk led them down a very dusty and wide corridor. They came to the entrance of the vault. Ragnuk slid his finger down the door. The door began to glow brightly, no doubt realising that it was being opened for the first time in almost a millennium. It opened into what seemed like complete and utter darkness.

Ragnuk turned around to look at Harry. 'Here you are Mr. Potter. I wish you luck,' he said, bowing to Harry.

Harry slowly approached the door. He was extremely nervous. He was here, and he wasn't entirely sure what to do. He slowly entered the darkness. As soon as he passed the threshold, the darkness enveloped him. To those watching him, it seemed as if he had simply disappeared into oblivion, and in the darkness, Harry stopped, unsure of what to do.

'Welcome,' said a deep voice, which had the hint of a Scottish accent. Harry turned around and saw a man with fair hair and blue eyes standing there, he was wearing scarlet robes and was rather broad-shouldered. _Godric Gryffindor, _he realised, with a start.

'Do not be scared,' said another voice, this one female. He turned around and saw a plump woman there. She was dressed in dull yellow robes. She had dark blonde hair, and seemed to be someone who always had a smile on her face._ Helena Hufflepuff._

'He seems to be young,' said another voice; male, but not as deep as Gryffindor's. Harry turned and saw Salazar Slytherin. The man was wearing green robes, and had black hair, exactly the same shade as Harry's. Slytherin was not as broad-shouldered as Gryffindor. He appeared to be more lean and lanky. He had piercing grey eyes.

'He is intelligent,' said the fourth member of the group. Harry turned and couldn't help but gasp. Standing there was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen. She was wearing brilliant dark blue robes. She had sleek, brown hair. But it was her eyes, _her eyes _were exactly emerald, just like Harry's. But other than her eyes, and the fact that her hair wasn't as bushy, Harry could have easily mistaken her for an older version of Hermione.

'Yes,' she said, smiling, 'I am indeed like your friend Hermione. She is, after all, my descendant.'

'That is enough, Row,' said Godric, looking at Ravenclaw. He turned to look at Harry. 'So, the first Lord of Hogwarts in almost a millennium. Finally!' he said, smiling at Harry.

Slytherin was next: 'He is destined for greatness, and I see myself and all of us in him, both physically and characteristically. I believe he is worthy.' Slytherin was studying Harry, without any expression, more as if Harry was a curious creature, and Slytherin was an interested scientist, who had just discovered this specimen.

'I, too, deem him worthy. He is loyal and he is down-to-earth, or, at least, he will be, thanks to the removal of those mental blocks,' said Hufflepuff, smiling.

'I also deem you worth!' declared Gryffindor, proudly.

Harry turned to look at Ravenclaw. She studied him, with an interested expression. 'You are intelligent and I see your worth. But I am concerned with how you plan to live through this. You are, after all, destined to be with the one who will bring you happiness,' she said. Seeing Harry's confusion, she said: '_Soul-bonds, _Harry Jamesson. You know her, already, and she grows interested in you, and you in her. You will be bonded by the last moon of the year. But for now, I deem you worthy. Go forth, Harry Jamesson, and take your place amongst the world.'

A sudden magic surrounded Harry. He could feel it, deep down in his very soul. He could feel that it was extremely ancient; a magic unlike any other. Harry turned to look at the Founder's. They were all smiling.

'Harry, Hogwarts is now yours. When you exit this darkness, you will know _every _secret of Hogwarts,' said Slytherin.

'You will become Hogwarts' _guardian,_' continued Gryffindor.

'You will feel the allegiance of Hogwarts _shift,_ 'said Hufflepuff.

'You will learn all of the _knowledge _of Hogwarts,' added Ravenclaw.

'But we will all give you our own gifts Harry,' said Gryffindor, growing serious. 'My gift to you is the gift of physical endurance, and of a body like no other. You will leave stronger than how you entered. You will be the envy of other men, and the crush of girls. But use it wisely,' he cautioned.

Slytherin stepped up next. 'My gift, my fellow snake-speaker is that of the knowledge of not just the tongue of snakes, but that of every magical creature and every muggle and wizarding language. It means you can see to your foreign accounts, such as the German, French, Italian and Egyptian accounts.'

Hufflepuff was next. She smiled as she said: 'My gift, dear Harry is that your eyes will be healed.'

'Really?' asked Harry, amazed and grateful. Hufflepuff smiled and nodded.

Ravenclaw walked across to Harry. She placed her hands on Harry's shoulder. 'My gift is that of _understanding _Harry Jamesson. You will leave this place with the knowledge and understanding of magic. It is _not _the gift of giving you everything to know. It is the gift of being able to understand that which you are taught.' She leaned down to Harry and kissed him on both cheeks. She then leaned in to Harry's ear and whispered: 'I also give you the knowledge of being able to _please _a woman, if you understand my meaning. _She_ certainly deserves it.'

Harry blushed. The other three Founder's seemed to have heard as they chuckled. Slytherin came forward again, and said: 'Flattery is useful Harry, and that is what I give you. You will be able to charm and flatter others. Though not your closest friends,' he added.

Hufflepuff stepped forward. 'As well as my other gift, I give you the gift of immunity to all potions that are deemed harmful, whether they are simple poisons or complex love potions,' she said, smiling.

'Thank you,' Harry said, gratefully. Hufflepuff nodded.

'And I, Harry, give you the gift of weapons. You will be able to quickly learn how to wield any weapon you choose,' said Gryffindor.

'Like Ravenclaw's gift. Understanding instead of knowledge?' asked Harry. Gryffindor smiled and nodded.

'Finally, Harry, we would like to tell you that Hogwarts now answers to you, and only _you. _Dumbledore and the staff, plus the Board may still control Hogwarts. But primary allegiance lies with you. You can overturn any decision. Even influence the House points,' Ravenclaw said.

'But do not influence it unjustly, for Hogwarts herself will know, and will refuse any unfair point deductions or additions by you,' said Slytherin.

'Finally, here is the Hogwarts ring, Harry,' said Gryffindor, holding the ring up. It was a large ring; golden, with silver, bronze and black threading through it, and the Hogwarts crest as the coat of arms. Harry took it from Gryffindor and put it on his finger. It immediately moulded with the four rings of the Founder's. The five rings became one. The Founder's smiled.

'Well done, Harry,' said Gryffindor. 'We will see you someday.'

The Four Founder's walked away from Harry and disappeared. The darkness began to fade, and soon appeared to be a black mist, which also disappeared, leaving Harry in the Founder's Vault. It was large, cavernous really. Harry looked around and saw treasure chests and books, jewellery and precious jewels, weapons and armoury. It looked to all be immensely precious. It was probably utterly priceless. Harry's eye was caught by a small table, a golden table, made of pure gold. On it was a thick, leather-bound book. Harry walked over to it, and flicked through it. It was a journal; _The Founder's Journal, _Harry realised.

He also realised that his vision seemed to be a bit blurry. He removed his glasses and saw that he could see perfectly clearly. 'Thank you, Hufflepuff,' he whispered.

He took the book and quickly surveyed the vault. A necklace caught his eye. He walked over to it, and saw what it was made of; pure gold, with rubies, sapphires and emeralds adorning it. A necklace fit for a Queen. Beside lay another, smaller necklace. It was made of silver, but covered in diamonds, and embedded with emeralds, sapphires and rubies. He knew that it was perfect for a certain someone, so he picked it up. He looked at it closer, and saw that it had some hundred carats of diamonds. He paused, realising what he had surveyed. He knew what a carat was! It must have been Ravenclaw's gift!

He decided that he would study everything else later. He took his two souvenirs with him. He saw the vault door, and through it saw Ragnuk and Hermione, both of whom seemed to frozen. He walked through it and they seemed to unfreeze.

Hermione jumped. 'Harry, that was quick. You weren't even there for a minute an-,' she stopped as she took him in. He was taller and looked stronger, broader; healthier. He also had the Hogwarts ring. Ragnuk also took in Harry's appearance and smiled.

'It seems the Founder's have given you a few gifts,' he said.

Harry nodded and explained what had happened. '-the problem is that I can't suddenly appear like this at the Weasley's or Dumbledore will quickly find out why,' he finished. Ragnuk nodded.

'Your glasses please, Mr. Potter,' he asked Harry, holding out his hand.

'Here you are,' Harry said, handing his glasses over. He turned to look at Hermione. He held up the journal: 'I got this; it's the Founder's Journal.' Hermione's jaw dropped.

'Wow, Harry, that probably contains so much information!' she said excitedly. Harry nodded, smiling at her. Ragnuk gave Harry his glasses back.

'Here you are Mr. Potter. I can also give you glamour charms for your appearance until returning to Hogwarts, as well as disillusioning the rings?' suggested Ragnuk. Harry nodded his approval; Ragnuk raised his hands and seemed to wave them over Harry, who suddenly seemed to grow shorter, and the rings disappeared. Within a minute, he looked like his old self.

Harry thanked Ragnuk and turned back to Hermione. 'I got you something from the vault,' he said. He held up the necklace and both Hermione and Ragnuk gasped as their jaws fell open.

'Harry! I can't accept _that!' _said Hermione, in shock. 'It looks a million bloody carats!'

'Actually, it's one-hundred and fifty carats of diamond, and twenty-five carats of sapphires, rubies and emeralds each,' he said. Ragnuk failed to hide his astonished look.

'How do you know that Mr. Potter?' he asked.

Harry shrugged, 'I just do; it's one of the Founder's gifts. And I want to give it to you,' he told Hermione.

She seemed to struggle for a bit, before her shoulders dropped. 'Fine,' she sighed. Harry smiled and went over to her, wrapping the necklace around her, and tying it for her.

It was rather heavy, thought Hermione. Of course, that was no surprise. Ragnuk waved his hand and the necklace was also disillusioned. He then turned to Harry.

'Any other vaults, Mr. Potter?' he asked.

Harry nodded and said: 'The Potter Vault.' Ragnuk understood and nodded.

The trip took ten minutes, by which time they reached a large cavern. They heard a distant roar.

'A dragon guards you r vault Mr. Potter,' said Ragnuk, smiling nastily. He led them towards the high-security vault, and after by-passing the dragon with the klankers, he pressed his thin finger against the door. It clicked and opened slowly. Harry entered it, and his jaw dropped. Of course, the amount of money taking up space wasn't surprising. _Twelve trillion Galleons after all, _thought Harry. But the vault seemed to be organised in such a way that all the personal effects were right at the entrance, followed by all the jewels and such, while the gold was at the end.

He went towards the personal effects. Before he could take another step, a chest suddenly glowed bright red. After it stopped glowing, Harry cautiously approached it. On the top of the chest was a name:

_Harry James Potter,  
our beloved son_

Harry realised what it was and tears formed on his eyes. He bent down and after unlatching it, he opened it. It seemed to consist of various personal items. He picked up the very first thing; a soft toy stag. It must have been his first toy. His tears began to flow freely. He let out a horrendous sob that rocked the room. Even Ragnuk and the goblins felt the sadness and misery in that sob; they felt for the Potter scion. He knew that Lord Potter would happily sacrifice everything he now owned for his parents.

Hermione and Sirius also saw the misery that Harry felt. But they knew that they shouldn't approach. It was more of a private moment for Harry. They felt so sorry for him. He had spent ten years of his life believing that he would grow up to be nothing. They also knew that he would give all of this away to have his parents back. It's why Hermione had never liked Ron. Ron had always been jealous of Harry's fame and richness, but he didn't realise that Harry would happily give it up to have what _he, Ron_ had; a family.

After a few minutes, Harry's sobs subsided and he continued his search. He found two journals; one by his mother and one by his father. He decided to take both of them, along with the stag. They seemed important.

Harry turned back to the chest and noticed a small case. He took it out and opened. A small note was folded inside. Under the note lay three beautiful rings; two were golden, both threaded with outlining and both said the same thing:

_James and Lily, Love Forever_

The third ring was silver, and was covered in tiny diamonds, except for the massive ruby that adorned the top. Harry opened the note and read it:

_Darling Harry,_

_If you have found these, then it means that both me and your father are dead. There is another letter in this chest, but this small note is regarding the three rings in this case._

_The silver ring is a Potter heirloom. It is an engagement ring. It was my engagement ring, and before that it was my grandmother-in-law's engagement ring. I hope that you one day give it to a very special girl, who you love and cherish and who loves and cherishes you back._

_The other two rings are our wedding bands. They are magical; they can feel when your partner is in danger or when they are angry. They act sort of like soul-bonds, in that you can feel each other's emotions. I'm sure you can see what they way, but upon you own wedding day; they will change to your name and your wife's name._

_Harry, darling, it is with immense regret that I cannot be there for that very special day, but know that I _will _be watching over you; both me and your father._

_We love, dear,  
Your mother_

Harry felt a fresh wave of grief overcome him. His mother would never see any of these kinds of events; not his wedding, not his birthdays, not even the birth of his children. Fresh tears began to flow. Harry put the rings and note back into the case, and placed it back into the chest. It should be safe there, until he would actually have need of it.

He rummaged through the chest, searching for the letter that had been mentioned. He soon found an envelope, which had been addressed simply "_To Harry_". He opened the envelope, and the letter inside fell out. He picked it up and began to read:

_Dear Harry,_

_If you are reading this, then that means that both us are no longer with you. It means that Lord Voldermort has killed us, and it means that you are an orphan._

_Harry, we both terribly wish that things could be different, but alas, they cannot. We ask you Harry to be careful. Do not run into danger, without giving it some thought. And most importantly, do not seek Voldermort for revenge. He is far too dangerous, and we do not wish for you to join us too soon._

_Harry, we both hope that you enjoy your life. Be happy. Enjoy your lessons at Hogwarts; enjoy the fabulous sport of Quidditch. Perhaps play, even. Most importantly, however; enjoy your friends and enjoy your family, for they are important._

_Before we finish this letter, we would like to state, for the record, that our secret-keeper is currently, and has been, since today; October 30th, Peter Pettigrew. Sirius Black, your godfather, by the way, convinced us to change, believing that Voldermort would suspect the strongest, which is Sirius._

_We love you Harry,  
Mum and Dad  
October 30th, 1981_

Harry stopped cold. The tears had continued strongly, up until the last paragraph. He jumped up and practically ran to the Director. He shoved the letter to the surprised goblin.

'Could this be considered evidence!' he demanded. The Director read through the letter, slightly irritated, and confused. But when he read the last paragraph, he understood. He looked up at Harry.

'If Gringotts _and _the Ministry can prove this wasn't falsified, then yes, it could,' he said evenly. 'We can begin the process immediately Mr. Potter,' he said.

Harry nodded. 'Yes, as soon as possible,' he said. Ragnuk nodded. Sirius was confused, he looked at the letter, and after reading it, seemed surprised.

Harry walked back into the vault, towards the gold, with the intention of taking a few hundred Galleons. He stopped short as he realised he wouldn't be able to carry that much. He turned towards Ragnuk.

'Ragnuk, do you have anything that can transport gold, like an extendable wallet?' asked Harry.

Ragnuk nodded and walked towards Harry, pulling out a small money bag and a needle. Harry understood, and after pricking his finger over the money bag, Harry filled it, before they took another stomach-churning ride up. They returned to the office, where the Director got right down to business.

'We have sorted that all out. We will contact the Muggle Prime Minister, the Queen and the Pope soon. But first, we understand your living arrangement is not the best?' asked the concerned goblin. Unbeknownst to the humans, goblins were extremely protective of all innocents; that was primarily the children and the disabled. In goblin customs, the punishment for child abuse is torture and death.

Harry nodded, and said: 'There's nowhere to go now. The Weasley's, at least three of them, are using me, while Dumbledore wouldn't let me go to anyone else.'

The Director actually smiled. 'Well Mr. Potter, there is good news on that. The of-age law is considered an Ancient Law, and it has to do with the wording. Back then, some wizards were considered adults as early as eleven. The law was then made to state that "_a witch or wizard is of age _by _the age of seventeen_." Thereby, it is up to us goblins to decide it. The Ministry trusts our judgement, as we have magic that can detect if you are responsible enough,' Ragnuk turned to look at Harry. 'We can therefore emancipate you, Mr. Potter. You will be able to perform magic outside of Hogwarts and will become a lord. You will even be able to assume your seats on the Wizengomat.'

Harry thought about it for a few minutes. He knew that being independent of everyone would be best. That was no question. The question was: where would he live? He had house-elves that could take care of him, and he certainly seemed to have more than enough money. He also had to get rid of the Weasley's and Dumbledore. They could not know about his emancipation just yet. Then there was the World Cup. He wanted to go. Slowly, an idea began to form in his mind.

Both Sirius and Hermione left him to think. It was his life, and his decision. Harry suddenly asked: 'Which Weasley's were _not _aware of the situation?' he asked Ragnuk.

'As far as we know, Arthur William, William Arthur, Charles James, Percival Ignatius, and the twins Frederic and George Weasley were not aware of the situation. The three accounts were, after all, set up under the name of Prewett,' replied Ragnuk.

The goblins were, by nature, impatient creatures. But when it came to the Potter's, the goblins were more than happy to provide them with assistance. Harry knew this, and so, after swearing them all to oaths, he begun to outline his plan. After each twist and turn both the goblins and the two humans accompanying Harry were surprised.

'...before all this, though, we need to hire an attorney,' Harry said. The Director actually smiled at this.

'Gringotts has its own team of lawyers. But they work for Gringotts only. However, down the street is the legal firm; Tonks & Associates,' said the Director. 'It's well established, and in fact, Lord Black, your cousin is the owner.' Sirius' eyes perked up at this.

Ragnuk turned back to Harry. 'We will owl you when you can move in. Now then, is there anything else before the emancipation?' he asked.

'Yes, I'd like to get some muggle currency,' said Harry. He turned to look at Sirius, 'The dummies will last a few more hours, surely. And I'm sure that if we asked kindly, the goblins can put glamours on you?'

The goblins nodded at this, before Ragnuk pulled out a contract. 'We can cast the glamours, as well as that, we can easily accept Lord Black's signature as your legal guardian. After the trial, no matter what the result, this will be legal. Primarily because Lord Black is not actually a _convicted _criminal, and he is the legal guardian of Mr. Potter, as stated by their Will,' Ragnuk explained.

Sirius took the contract and looked it over:

**_Gringotts Wizarding Bank_**

**_Emancipation of a Minor Agreement_**

**_Minor's name: _**_Harry James Potter  
**Legal Guardian: **Lord Sirius Orion Black (as per James and Lily Potter's Will)_

_I, **Lord Sirius Orion Black**, lift my guardianship of my Godson Harry James Potter (aged 14) to the minor himself. Thereby, I do emancipate Harry James, and lift any legal, financial or physical responsibility of Harry James._

_I, **Harry James Potter**, do hereby accept any legal, financial or physical responsibility. I accept my emancipation, which was granted to me by my Godfather; Lord Sirius Orion Black_

**_Witnessed by _**_Hermione Jean Granger (minor), Ragnuk (Potter Accounts Manager), Redblade (Dormant Accounts Manager) and Narkook (Director of the British Offices of Gringotts International Wizarding Bank) on this day, **August the First, Nineteen-Ninety-Four.**_

They all signed their names. 'Well then, Mr. Potter, this just leaves a few more things. All of them are to accept the Lordship of the various houses. Once that is done, you will become a Lord, and the Hogwarts Ring will officially be in service,' said the Director. Ragnuk bought out all the rings.

'But how will I accept the titles? and what about those foreign rings?' asked Harry.

In response Ragnuk pulled out another case, and opened it. It contained a stunning velvet bottom, with a number of rings. 'The foreign rings magically transported here upon your blood being spilt on the Inheritance Parchment,' said Ragnuk. 'All of these rings will meld into three different rings. The Founder's Rings will become the "Hogwarts Ring", whilst the foreign rings will turn into one as well. The Peverell Ring will be absorbed by the Potter Ring, along with the Merlin ring,' explained Ragnuk.

Harry knew what to do. He picked up the first ring and put it onto his finger. It was a red ring, with a golden coat of arms, featuring a sword and griffin; The Potter ring. He began the bond: 'I, Harry James Potter, Scion of the Potter House, accept the responsibility of heading the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, and become Lord Potter. So I declare it, so mote it be!' A small spark emitted from the ring and shot up Harry's arm, across his chest and into his heart, down to his very soul. He could feel the magic being entwined into him.

He did the same with all of the rings there. The Peverell ring was black with a strange triangle, with a circle and line in the middle. The rings of the Founder's were practically ring-forms of the coat of arms of each Hogwarts House. The Merlin Ring was smoky white, with a silver pattern around it. The Le Chanell ring was pale blue, with a silver coat of arms, featuring a hippogriff and a sword. The Abubakar ring was a heavy, gold ring which featured a sphinx on the stamp. The Addario ring was dark blue, but that blue was practically invisible behind the rubies, emeralds, and sapphires that adorned it. The Friedmann ring was black, with a wolf on and mace as the coat of arms.

'Very good Mr. Potter!' cried Ragnuk happily. He took out a scroll: 'These are all the titles and major privileges associated with your position.' Harry took the piece of parchment and opened it. He blinked and began to read:

**_Positions and Titles  
of  
Harry James Potter (Full title to be finalised)_**

**_Prince of Great Britain and the Commonwealth  
_**_As highest wizard on line of succession to the CROWN, Prince represents HER MAJESTY, QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND of Great Britain and the Commonwealth (after approval from Her Majesty)  
ROYAL Wizengomat seat_

**_Lord of The Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter  
_**_THREE Wizengomat seats (FIVE on reaching Majority (17))  
ONE seat on the Gringotts Council of Elder's (only wizarding family)_

**_Lord of The Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell  
_**_ONE Wizengomat seat_

**_Lord of The Ancient and Most Exceptional House of Merlin  
_**_THREE "PRESTIGIOUS" Wizengomat seats_

**_Lord of The Most Esteemed House of Gryffindor  
_**_ONE Wizengomat seat  
TWO seats on the Board of Governors_

**_Lord of The Most Esteemed House of Slytherin  
_**_ONE Wizengomat seat  
TWO seats on the Board of Governors_

**_Lord of The Most Esteemed House of Ravenclaw  
_**_ONE Wizengomat seat  
TWO seats on the Board of Governors_

**_Lord of The Most Esteemed House of Hufflepuff  
_**_ONE Wizengomat seat  
TWO seats on the Board of Governors_

**_Heir of the Founder's  
_**_Power to: disassemble Board of Governors, remove any teachers, remove any Headmaster  
FOUR "PRESTIGIOUS" Wizengomat seats_

**_Lord of The Most Grande House of Le Chanell  
_**_ONE Wizengomat seat  
ONE seat on the International Bank Forum (Switzerland)  
TWO seats on the French Magical Parliament_

**_Lord of The Most Imperial House of Abubakar  
_**_FIVE seats on the Magical Assembly of Egypt_

**_Lord of The Most Magnificent House of Addario  
_**_THREE seats on the Magical Senate of Italy  
ONE seat on the Vatican's Papal Conclave_

**_Lord of The Most Esteemed House of Friedmann  
_**_ONE Wizengomat seat_

**_Total  
_**_Prince of Great Britain and the Commonwealth  
ROYAL Wizengomat seat**  
**SEVEN "PRESTIGIOUS" Wizengomat seats  
TEN Wizengomat seats (normal)  
ONE seat on the Gringotts Council of Elders  
EIGHT seats on the Board of Governors, as well as total power over Hogwarts  
TWO seats on the French Magical Parliament  
ONE seat on the Bank Forum (Switzerland)  
FIVE seats on the Magical Assembly of Egypt  
THREE seats on the Magical Senate of Italy  
ONE seat on the Vatican's Papal Conclave_

Harry looked up, in shock, for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

'I have to represent the _Queen?_' he asked, sounding exasperated.

'Yes,' answered Ragnuk. 'You will have to meet her before the next Official Meeting, which takes place on August Thirty-First, by the way.'

'September twelfth?' asked Harry, confused.

'Yes, the Wizengomat session begins on the last day of August, and meets once a week, up until the beginning of July, when the members take two months of holidays. You are required to attend both the first and last meeting of each annual session, as well as any compulsory meetings; generally trials and the like,' explained Ragnuk.

'What about the Council of Elders?' asked Harry.

'You're the only wizard, and you'll have to understand the Goblin Tongue, but it is the bank's Board essentially. I'm actually a member on it myself. It meets every quarter, generally January, April, July and October. The Swiss Bank Forum is a wizarding bank Forum held every year in Switzerland, around May. The French Parliament, Egyptian Assembly and Italian Senate are essentially those countries versions of the Wizengomat. They meet randomly. I would suggest nominating someone in your stead. I can help actually, with a few contacts. You know the Board of Governors, obviously. As for the Vatican's Papal Conclave, well, you'll have to glamour yourself and look old. The Papal Conclave comes together after the death of a Pope and elects the next one,' finished Ragnuk.

'But I'm not Catholic!' protested Harry.

'Maybe so, but you'll still have to elect, when the time comes, of course,' Ragnuk said.

'For the Council of Elders, could you fill my seat as well, please?' asked Harry. 'And for that matter, can you become my Account Manager?'

Ragnuk looked shocked at this. 'I-I-the Council of Elder's is immensely exclusive!' he said. 'Only Directors, and a few additional staff are there!'

Harry smiled at the goblins look. He looked immensely honoured, and proud. He knew he had made the right choice.

'I will attend the Wizengomat session on that day. But I will have to somehow make public that I'm now the richest person on the planet,' Harry said, laughing slightly. He suddenly had an idea. He looked around at Hermione. She definitely deserved this. He turned back to look at Ragnuk: I'd like that 'scholarship' account to be transferred in the name of Hermione Jean Granger, and to double the monthly allowance to thirty thousand,' he said.

Hermione whipped around at him. 'Harry, no! It's your money!' she pleaded.

Harry turned to look at her. 'Exactly,' he said. Sirius began laughing. He looked around at them, and was able to maintain his expression enough to say: 'That's exactly what your dad did for your mum. She was so peeved off!' he said. Harry smiled at him, before turning back to Hermione.

'I want to be able to spend some of that money, especially on people I care about. Please' he begged, pouting. Hermione couldn't say "no" to that face. She sighed and huffed "fine". Harry smiled at her. He turned to look at Ragnuk.

'I need a large sum of muggle money,' he said.

'We can give you a card that will charge directly here. It is also magical, so it only recognises yourself, Lord Potter,' replied the goblin. He took out a card and rubbed it across the inheritance test paper, soaking up Harry's blood. He handed the card over.

'Thank you,' replied Harry. He held up the card and looked at it. It was gold and had the initials _H. J. Potter _on it. Hermione gasped when she saw it.

'H-Harry. Do you know what kind of card that is?' Harry shook his head. 'It's a Gold Platinum Card. It's extremely exclusive, and simply holding it up gives you all sorts of bonuses. Shops _really _try to impress people with such cards.'

Harry looked back at the card. He decided that he would certainly use its advantages. He looked back up at the goblins.

'Thank you Redblade, Narkook and Ragnuk,' he said, bowing to them. They bowed back.

'We wish you luck Lord Potter, and we will see you in a week's time!' they replied.

Harry led the way from the office onto Diagon Alley. The goblins quickly disguised all three of them, and they went shopping.

* * *

At the Ministry of Magic, the Wizengomant Chambers were closed until a day before the first session,, when cleaner's came in to clean it up for the first meeting. Next to the Head Chamber, there was an office. This was the Head Clerk's office. On the table lay a small book. It contained every single member ever to sit on the Wizengomant.

At this moment, a name was appearing. Beside that name appeared a number of House crests and names.

Fortunately for Harry Potter, no one would see the book until the actual session began. Unfortunately for Dumbledore, he wouldn't see it until it was too late.

* * *

**So, here's the extremely long chapter that I have posted. I'm sorry if it's a bit dull, or disorganized. I had to rewrite this entire chapter, as the old one was too ridiculous.**

**Yes, I know he's OVERLY loaded, but I wanted to make him overly rich, without being in ANY danger of losing it or wasting it. A tad excessive, you say? Yeah, I know, I don't care though.**

**Hope you enjoyed his emancipation! (Sorry if you wanted Minerva). Also excuse my will writing, I may update that at a later point in time to make it sound like a bloody will!**

**So, what's this plan? Well, you'll find out soon! Now for some Q&A:**

**Do Harry and Hermione leave the Weasley's? **Yes

**The World Cup? **Still on, but with a few changes

**The Hocrux?** You'll find out when I actually post it, because I myself have no idea. I doubt it'll be in this one, maybe in the sequel? (Yes, I'm planning a sequel, still far off, but I have an idea of what the summer looks like!)

**Thank you reader, please R&R.**


	4. Radio Silence

**_A/N: _****The fourth chapter here! Thanks for all the reviews about the last chapter! As for the excessive wealth, please remember the type of person that Harry is! He's a selfless "saving other people" type of person. He's not going to hire out an army to do his work for him, while he rests somewhere. He's going to be in the thick of anything!**

**7,165 words**

**Disclaimer: the majority of the characters and settings in this story are not original; they belong to Her Majesty Joanne Rowling the First. Some characters are however original. Any relation to any person; whether alive or dead, is purely accidental and coincidental, other than where the author states otherwise.**

**Rated T for language. This chapter goes from August 1st to August 8th.**

**Please Read and Review.**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Radio Silence**

Walking out of Gringotts saw Harry, Hermione and Sirius in the bright midday sunshine. Thankfully they were all under disguises, meaning that no one would scream when they saw them. Harry was thankful to the goblins for the glamour charms.

They walked up and down Diagon Alley, purchasing a few things and some wizarding sweets. After finishing their wizarding shopping trip, Harry dragged his best friend and godfather into muggle London, where they had some lunch at a Chinese restaurant. After lunch, Harry dragged them to the shops, wanting to buy some clothes.

Walking around the mall, the three blondes could be mistaken for a father and his two kids. But Harry wanted to buy some clothes for himself. He wasn't selfish or vain, but he wanted to spend some of the money he had on himself. So they went to Harrods, where their jaws dropped at both the sheer quantity of items, as well as the price tags attached. Harry had smartly asked the goblins what the conversion rate was, and was shocked to find out that his thirteen trillion galleons was about sixty-five trillion pounds.

They spent about two hours at Harrods; where they bought jeans, shirts, formal clothing, casual, as well as accessories for the three of them. With all their shopping, they walked down a small side alley, where Harry decided to call his new head house-elf; Tanny.

Tanny appeared, and almost immediately sprung towards Harry, sobbing.

'Master is back, oh, Master Harry is back!' she sobbed. Harry attempted to reassure her by patting her. This seemed to shake the elderly house-elf from her sobbing. She stood back and looked around. Harry knew exactly what she was going to do and said: 'No, Tanny. You are not to punish ourselves. Ever. Do you understand?' Tanny looked around at her master, fresh tears filling her eyes. She nodded.

'Now then, I want you to take all this clothing to Potter Manor. Do you understand?' Harry continued. Tanny nodded her head. 'Before that, I need to tell you about our small plan. It should take about a week, but the first detail is that Potter Manor must be habitable, and it must have strong wards which will repel all witches and wizards except me, Sirius Black and Hermione Granger. Understand?'

The aged elf seemed to notice Sirius and Hermione for the first time. She looked at Sirius and new tears filled her eyes. 'Oh, Master Sirius, Master James' best friend! We always knew, sir, that you were innocent!' she cried. She seemed to restrain herself from flinging her thin limbs around Sirius' legs.

The elf continued to cry for another five minutes, before finally getting the courage to take their shopping to Potter Manor. The trio waved goodbye to the elf, who promised to have everything ready by next week. After seeing her off, the trio made their way back to Diagon Alley, where they found the offices of Tonks and Associates. They entered the premises. Harry waved his wand and got rid of his glamour. He walked up to the secretary.

'I'd like to see Andromeda Tonks,' said Harry.

The secretary didn't even look up. 'Do you have an appointment?' she asked.

'I'm sure she'll squeeze me in,' Harry said. He didn't have any idea where he suddenly had this confidence, though there was a small suspicion it had come with the Founder's gifts and with the removal of the blocks.

'No meeting without an-oh!' the secretary had looked up and seen just who she was talking too. Harry smiled, using Slytherins gift of charm.

'That's a bit of a shame. I can only really see her today,' said Harry, giving a small sad smile.

The secretary seemed to scramble to try and get something. She stood up and waved them after her. They followed her up the stairs and to a small waiting area, where another secretary sat.

'Andrea, we have a possible new client for Mrs Tonks,; said the first secretary to the second. Andrea looked up, and noticed Harry.

'Yes, I'll take it from here. You can go Samantha,' Andrea said. She stood up and came to Harry. 'So, you're looking for a lawyer?' Harry nodded 'Well, what are you waiting for? Follow me!' The trio followed her into the office of her boss. The office was rather small, but still seemed luxurious. A desk stood in the centre. It was surrounded by three chairs. Behind the desk sat a woman with black hair, labouring over paperwork.

'Mrs Tonks, we have a possible new client,' said Andrea. Mrs Tonks looked up. She frowned at first, seeing that it was a teenager, but her eyes widened when they saw the scar. She stood up.

'Of course. Andrea, bring some tea. We will need to talk,' said the woman, who, Harry noticed, had kind brown eyes. She smiled at Harry, before ushering them into to the seats. They sat down, as did Mrs Tonks.

'Now then, my name is Andromeda Tonks so what can I do for you?' she asked, smiling warmly. Harry was suddenly nervous. He decided to tell her everything possible.

'I need a lawyer. I've become emancipated and become Lord Potter,' he began. He suddenly had a bad thought. 'You won't tell anyone, will you?' he asked.

Mrs Tonks shook her head. 'It comes under attorney-client privilege. Even if I haven't signed you, I can't reveal anything you tell me without permission,' she said. Harry sighed in relief. The he told her. He told her everything; about the Dursley's, about the Weasley's and Dumbledore, about three years of near-death at Hogwarts, about his titles and lordships. Mrs Tonks listened on, at first smiling, but frowning by the end of the tale.

'That leaves a lot of possibilities on what you can do,' she began, after a minute's silence had filled the void left by Harry's story. 'You could charge the Dursley's and Weasley's, even Dumbledore! But it requires a lot of effort and time. Now then, I'm happy to become you lawyer. I can even give you the contract now, if you wish?'

Harry nodded his confirmation, so Mrs Tonks pulled out a contract. She gave it to Harry, who quickly read it over. It stated simple things like Mrs Tonks becoming his lawyer, and that the fee was a base of five thousand Galleons a month. Harry gave the contract to Hermione, so that she could confirm it. She looked it over and nodded, handing it back. Harry signed it and told her the plan that they had with dealing with everyone who had wronged him.

'Now then,' began Mrs Tonks. She held up her wand and said: 'I, Andromeda Tonks do hereby swear on my magic and rights that I shall not reveal any privileged information regarding my client or his circumstances, without the express direction, instruction and permission of my client, who is Lord Harry James Potter-Merlin-Windsor-Peverell-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw-Hogwarts-Le Chanell-Abubakar-Addario-Friedmann! So I have sworn, so mote it be!' she cried. A burst of sparks erupted from her wand, signifying the new contract. 'Now the, I should note, Mr Potter, that other than Potter being there as you first surname, it does not matter in which particular order they are used. You may also use simple titles such as Lord Hogwarts or Lord Addario when conducting business for the sole purpose of that house.' Harry nodded.

'Now that that's done, I'd like you to meet someone, or rather see them again,' said Harry. Mrs Tonks had confusion flicking over her face. Harry turned to the blonde adult next to him. He nodded, and waved his wand over himself, revealing Sirius in his proper form. Mrs Tonks gasped, tears filling her eyes.

'Sirius, oh Sirius!' she cried, standing up and running to him. She hugged him and he hugged her back, still sobbing.

Harry and Hermione decided to wait in the corner for Sirius. They stood there, idly chatting for half-an-hour, while Andromeda reunited with her cousin. Finally, noticing the time, Harry cleared his throat.

'Sirius, we should probably get back to the Burrow, and begin Phase One,' he said, interrupting Andromeda and Sirius. Sirius turned around and nodded. Harry looked towards Andromeda. Can we get a portkey to the shed of the Burrow?' he asked.

Five minutes later, Harry, Sirius and Hermione were back in the Burrow's shed. It was already four in the afternoon. Hermione waved her wand over herself, removing the glamour and returning to her usual brown-and-bushy-haired self.

After ten minutes, in which Sirius managed to get the trio's dummies to return to the shed, the real trio began their walk towards the Burrow. Harry suddenly had an idea. He looked at Sirius.

'Will we be able to go to the Quidditch World Cup final?' he asked. Sirius looked slightly apprehensive.

'Yes, we should, but under glamours, and because of the regulations, we'll have to spend the night before and night after near the pitch,' Sirius replied after a moment.

Harry nodded. 'We could go blonde?' he suggested. Hermione and Sirius chortled at this.

Hermione's face suddenly became weary. 'I'll have to tell my parents that I'm going there, and that I'm not staying at the Burrow from next week onwards.'

Harry looked at her, slightly amazed. Here she was, Harry's last, true best friend, sacrificing yet another thing for him. She was going to stay with them for the summer. This was something that she was secretly excited about, while he too was interested in this part of their plan.

Phase One of what the trio and the three goblins had named "Plan Tumble-Down" or what Sirius had named "Plan Bring-the-Weasley's-and-Dumbledore-down-to-their-knees-and-make-them-beg-for-mercy" was to spend a week at the Burrow, seeming to appear to be absolutely normal, in order to deceive the Weasley's into believing _their _plan was working. Whilst they stayed for a week, the goblins and Harry's house-elves would fix up Potter Manor.

At the end of the week, Sirius would disappear, and all the Weasley's, as well as Dumbledore, McGonagall and Pomfrey would have their memories altered into believing that Sirius had never been there, and that he was actually guilty. At this point, Harry would "decide" to return to the Weasley's, citing that they believed that the Dursley's was the best option. In reality, he would go join Sirius at Potter Manor. Hermione would also make her escape, with the excuse that her parents want to spend some time with her before the start of term.

The three goblins and three humans had lovingly named Phase One "Radio Silence", where they would discreetly do what needed to be done, without the Weasley's or Dumbledore catching a whiff.

They entered the Burrow, and after half-an-hour of mingling, Hermione disappeared to send a letter to her parents using Hedwig, and Sirius went back to the shed, ahead of Percy's arrival.

That night, Harry, Hermione and Sirius played their usual selves well. All three were struggling to scream at Molly, Ron or Ginny, who all appeared to be going to lengths to impress them. Harry was extremely thankful for Hufflepuff's gift. The love potions in the food wouldn't affect them. Harry suddenly realised that Hermione didn't have such protections. He quietly told Sirius later about that. Sirius promised to charm her out of them.

The rest of the evening passed by quickly with the Weasley's continuing to impress their three guests. Mr Weasley triumphantly confirmed that he had secured tickets to the World Cup final. This was met with loud cheers. They got even louder when Mr Weasley confirmed that the two eldest Weasley children – Bill and Charlie – would also be going.

* * *

The rest of the week passed by quickly. The Weasley's continued to laugh at Harry and Hermione's jokes, and continued to play Quidditch happily with Harry. Harry, Hermione and Sirius continued to struggle to overcome their anger.

Finally, the day came when Harry and Hermione sneaked out to the shed, where Sirius was getting ready to depart. Both Harry and Hermione had packed their own bags. Harry called out: 'Tanny'.

Tanny appeared in the shed. She bowed before her master and said: 'Tanny is here, Master. Tanny is happy to inform master that his Manor is now ready for his and his friends arrival. Tanny also likes to inform master that two of his elves are already on their way to both Hogwarts and the Burrow to remove Sirius Black from their minds. A goblin by the name of Ragnuk is also waiting for master.'

Harry nodded. 'You take Sirius now, Tanny. I'll call you when you should come take me and Hermione. Understand?' said Harry. The elf nodded and walked over to Sirius. She took Sirius' hand and they quickly disappeared with a loud POP.

Harry and Hermione sneaked back to the Burrow, where Mrs Weasley had woken up and was now preparing breakfast. She turned around when she saw them enter.

Molly Weasley smiled when she saw the two of them. In just under two weeks, she would go to Gringotts for their monthly payout, right from the Potter's own vault. She had laughed at the irony many times. Beside him strode the mudblood. Mrs Weasley didn't mind that her future daughter-in-law was a mudblood. It would prove useful, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to be file charges against her future pureblood husband. Ron Weasley was, after all, a temper-driven pureblood, exactly what mudbloods like Hermione Granger needed.

Both Harry and Hermione knew it was a sinister smile, even if it did portray innocence and the like. They took a seat, and waited for breakfast. Fred and George soon joined them, along with Mr Weasley. The three wizards present began an animated discussion about the previous night's semi-final. Bulgaria had gotten through to the final with their seeker; Viktor Krum.

Hermione sat idly by, ignoring the male-driven conversation. Percy and Ginny soon came down the stairs as well, leaving only Ron in bed. Then again, Ronald Weasley was infamous for sleeping in late, _extremely late. _Harry knew this, and knew that for their plan, he'd have to start the ball rolling now. He cleared his throat. Conversation stopped, as half-a-dozen pairs of eyes turned to look at him.

'I've made a decision,' he began. 'Dumbledore wants me to return to the Dursley's for the additional magical benefit, and I've decided that he's right. I will be taking the Knight Bus back to Surrey later today.'

At this news all six present Weasley's began arguing with him. Harry held his hands up. 'Nothing will change my mind. I need to go there for the protection. Dumbledore is right.' The Weasley's still continued to try and shout at him, but they soon realised that he would leave either way, though they still gave furious comments every few minutes.

A small POP resounded around the kitchen. No one noticed the invisible elf. He went around the table and managed to work his magic on all the Weasley's, altering their memories to remove Sirius and come up with excuses for anything that he directly caused. Finished with his task, the elf disappeared again.

After Mr Weasley and Percy left – though not after immensely angry words with Harry- Harry bought his trunk down and began his goodbyes. Hermione also dragged her trunk down, to everyone's surprise.

'Where are you going, dear?' asked Mrs Weasley.

'Home,' answered Hermione, 'my parents have spent so little of this summer with me that they want me to go back to them for the remainder of the summer. I decided today's the perfect day, what with Harry leaving. We'll both catch the Knight Bus.'

Mrs Weasley looked relieved at this. The two young teenagers had managed to deceive her into believing it was as innocent as was suggested. She decided that a bit of over-acting couldn't hurt, so she turned to Harry.

'Are you sure you should go back, Harry?' she asked in a concerned voice. Harry nodded.

'Yes, I really should,' he said. 'It would be best for everyone.'

Mrs Weasley smiled sadly and then ushered them out the door and waving goodbye. Harry and Hermione walked beyond the Burrow's boundary and were soon in line of the trees. After checking that they could not be seen, Harry called for his elf. Tanny quickly appeared.

'Tanny, take me, Hermione and our luggage to Potter Manor,' said Harry, grabbing hold of Tanny's thin arm. Hermione grabbed onto the other arm. Tanny looked at her master and nodded. They disapparated with a small POP.

Disapparation seemed to be the most torturous form of transport in existence. Harry felt like his very insides were being squeezed under high pressure. It was, however, short-lived. They quickly appeared on a small field. Harry fell face first onto the ground, his body heaving.

After a couple of minutes, in which he got himself sorted, he stood up and looked around. They seemed to be on the edge of a forest. In front of them was what could best be described as a large field. Harry had no idea where the Manor was, so he turned to his head elf. Tanny looked up at him and produced a small piece of parchment. Harry read it, with Hermione looking over his shoulder:

_Potter Manor; the ancient residence of The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter, is located on 8 Broadway Green Road, England_

Harry looked up in time to see a large manor materialise. He also spotted what seemed to be a Quidditch Pitch in the distance. While that may have excited him under normal conditions, he was more excited by what was right in front of him.

Potter Manor was a large, four-storey mansion. It was made of white marble, which seemed to gleam in the sunshine. High windows adorned it in what was a magnificent symmetrical piece of architecture. It was also extremely large. Harry had no idea how many rooms there could be, but he knew that there would be lots. He made a mental note to check with Ragnuk.

Tanny led her master and friend up the stone steps to the large white front door. The door opened of its own accord, as the Manor recognised its new master. Walking through the door took both Harry's and Hermione's breathe away.

The hallway was wide and large, and was adorned with various portraits, including one that he seemed to recognise. With a jolt, Harry realised a similar portrait hung in the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. He walked towards it. The portrait noticed him and smiled.

'Good day, Lord Potter, I am Lord Phillip Potter, Headmaster of Hogwarts between 1492 and 1509,' he said.

Harry had another question. 'Do you primary allegiances lie with the Potter Family or the Headmaster of Hogwarts,' he asked.

The portrait seemed affronted. He bowed before saying: 'My allegiance lies with the Potter Family, my Lord. Hogwarts comes second.'

Harry nodded. 'Then you are not to inform the Headmaster that _anyone _is here. Nor are you to inform him of the Fidelius Charm,' he ordered. The portrait nodded his respect.

Harry and Hermione continued through the Manor, and finally came to the extravagant and spacious living room. It contained a large fireplace, along with three antique sofas. Three windows adorned the far wall, revealing the beautiful outdoors. They could see the forest on the edge of the clearing outside. Harry also noticed the goblin, and the two humans there.

'Who are the secret-keepers?' was his first question.

Mrs Tonks answered this: 'Myself, Sirius, Ragnuk, you and Miss Granger are the only living Secret-Keepers.

Harry nodded, before asking his next question: 'How big is this place?'

Ragnuk answered this: 'Ten acres, my lord. As well as that, Potter Manor contains thirty en-suite bedrooms, as well as an indoor swimming pool, a large training room which caters to your every need. A muggle bowling alley, along with games room is in the basement and two vehicles are also in the underground garage. They should probably both be sold. There is also a breakfast room, and dining room. Three living rooms and two sitting rooms are also here. A very large kitchen and laundry area is in the basement. A greenhouse is on the third floor. A Ballroom is also located on the Ground Floor, though its ceiling reaches the top of the first. There are also three offices. They are referred to as the "Lord's Office", the "Lady's Office" and the "Scion's Office". A large library also exists-' he was interrupted by a squeal, '-which has over a hundred and fifty thousand books.'

Harry was overwhelmed at all this information. That was certainly more than he thought. And given the fact that that was just one of his manors, he hated the idea of some of his others, such as the French Villa and Venetian Manor.

Hermione was also overwhelmed, more by the library than anything else. A hundred and fifty thousand books! There were probably hundreds of first editions and some books were probably one-of-a-kind!

Harry decided to ignore this and asked a new question, this one regarding their plan,: 'Have you transferred possession of that "scholarship" vault, yet?'

Ragnuk nodded. 'Yes, we transferred it today. No letters were sent, as per your requests. It was under the Hogwarts banner, but seeing as you're Lord Hogwarts, we were able to transfer possession to the Potter account,' he said.

Harry nodded, before turning to Mrs Tonks and asking: 'Have we decided on a reporter yet?'

Mrs Tonks smiled and answered: 'There is one reporter. She is extremely blunt, and is hated by many. She has destroyed quite a few reputations. She knows how to do her research. She is a good reporter, but nasty. A nasty and good reporter is what you want. They understand business deals. An exclusive with the Boy-Who-Lived is certainly business for her. She will probably become an ally, as long as you don't turn your back on her.'

'What's her name?' asked Hermione.

'Rita Skeeter,' stated Mrs Tonks simply. Hermione froze.

'_Her?_' she asked.

'Yes, her. She may be nasty, but as I've said, she's good at what she does. And this way she won't attack Harry,' said Mrs Tonks, looking at Hermione. She then turned to Harry: 'The Wizengomant meets in just three weeks, Harry. I've scheduled two interviews – as per your instructions – for August the twenty-fifth and August the thirty-first. She will be there with her editor. The man; Jacob Blackwell wishes to meet his new boss. The articles are to be published on September second, and September fifth, respectively.'

Harry nodded, but before he could continue, Sirius said: 'Don't worry about the meeting, Ann. I've got it figured out.' He turned to look at Harry and Hermione. He held up an emerald crystal. Ragnuk, Mrs Tonks and Hermione all gasped. Harry looked at it in confusion.

'What is that?' he asked. Sirius smiled.

'It's a Time Crystal. It essentially encompasses an area of about one mile in diameter in a giant bowl. In this bowl, time is essentially meaningless. You can make one normal day be a whole week in this bowl. My idea is to train the two of you for about thirteen months, or thirteen days in real time. How about that?' he asked, smiling.

'It could encompass all of Potter Manor and make us age slower in real time?' asked Harry, quickly catching on. Sirius nodded. 'But what about our ages. Won't we essentially be fifteen when we return?'

'In terms of physical stamina, yes. You will essentially be well-built, once I get through with you. But in terms of real time, you will simply age by thirteen days. You'll just come out stronger, taller and probably hotter,' said Sirius, shrugging his shoulders.

'Why was everyone so shocked when you got it out?' asked Harry.

Sirius laughed. 'Because this is the only confirmed one in existence, other than the two that the goblins have and the one or two that the Department of Mysteries has. What's more is that this is a Family Object, meaning it _cannot, _under any circumstances, be taken away by anyone.' Mrs Tonks nodded her head at this. Sirius continued: 'The other Time Crystals have seemingly been destroyed, though three have been unaccounted for. One has now, though,' he said, looking at the crystal in his hand.

'So, from when to when will we train?' asked Hermione.

'From tomorrow to the twenty-second. I've already gotten three, relatively expensive tickets to the final on the twenty-fourth. But that still means that we have to go there on the twenty-third and return on the twenty-fifth. The day of the first interview,' he added, looking at Harry.

'What about the small, insignificant fact that you're wanted by the Ministry?' asked Harry.

Sirius laughed. 'One of the things I plan on doing in training is teaching you languages, including French, German, Spanish and Italian. You'll be so good that you'll pass off as any of them. Especially with glamours,' he said with a mischievous smile on his lips. Harry laughed.

'I guess that that's a good idea,' he said.

'Lord Potter, we've notified the Queen, the Pope and the Prime Ministers and Presidents of the affected nations regarding your recent changes. They _all _wish to meet you. We have scheduled it in. We even have a schedule here, which has the approval of your godfather and lawyer,' said Ragnuk, sliding a piece of parchment over. Harry picked it up and read:

**_Meeting Schedule  
of  
Lord H. J. Potter-Windsor-Addario-Le Chanell- Friedmann-Abubakar_**

**_Note: All Heads of State are aware of magic. It is international magical law that all Heads must be aware that certain citizens are magical._**

**_Thursday, August 25th  
_**_13:00-17:00 – First meeting with journalist Rita Skeeter and Editor-in-Chief Jacob Blackwell of the Daily Prophet_

**_Friday, August 26th  
_**_11:00-11:30 – Private meeting with the Queen (Buckingham Palace)  
11:30-12:30 – Meeting with the Queen and the Prime Minister (Buckingham Palace)  
12:30-13:30 – State Lunch with the Queen, Prince of Edinburgh, the Prime Minister, the Prince and Princess of Wales and their sons; Princes William and Henry of Wales (Buckingham Palace)  
13:30-15:00 – Meeting with the Queen, the Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and the Defence Minister (Buckingham Palace)_

**_Saturday, August 27th  
_**_11:00-13:00 – Private meeting with the President of Egypt (Cairo Presidential Palace)  
14:00-15:00 – Private (secret until September 1st) meeting with the Head of the Magical Assembly of Egypt and the Magical Secretary (Egyptian Department of Magic)_

**_Sunday, August 28th  
_**_11:00-12:30 – Private meeting with the Mayor of Venice (Venice)  
14:00-15:00 – Private meeting with the President and Prime Minister of Italy (Rome)  
15:30-17:00 – Private (secret until September 1st) meeting with the Chair of the Magical Senate of Italy and the Italian Minister for Magic (Italian Ministry of Magic)  
18:00-20:00 – Private meeting and Official Dinner with His Holiness Pope John Pau the Sixteenth (Vatican City)_

**_Monday, August 29th  
_**_10:00-11:00 – Private meeting with the Chancellor of Germany (Berlin)_  
_14:00-16:00 – Meeting with the Chair and selected members of the International Bank Forum (Zurich, Switzerland)  
16:30-17:30 – Private (secret until September 1st) meeting with the Head of the French Magical Parliament and the French Minister for Magic (French Ministry of Magic)  
18:30-20:30 – Private Dinner with the President of France and his wife; the First Lady of France (Paris)_

**_Tuesday, August 30th  
_**_11:00-13:00 – Meeting with certain members of the Gringotts Council of Elders (London)_

**_Wednesday, August 31st  
_**_11:00-13:30 – Second interview with journalist Rita Skeeter and Editor-in-Chief Jacob Blackwell of the Daily Prophet  
14:00-18:00 – First session of Wizengomat for the 1994-95 year._

**_Please note: Foreign Policy, as well as Gringotts Policy, bars minors, or school students from taking seats on their councils, specifically when they are "outsiders". Therefore, Lord Potter must appoint a proxy on these seats. The British Wizengomant does not have such restrictions on Lord Potter_**

Harry looked up from reading, his eyes slightly watering.

'I have to do _all _of _this_' he asked Ragnuk. Ragnuk nodded.

'Yes Lord Potter, you must. As a goblin of Gringotts, I am able to, and will – due to Lord Black's invitation – come and teach you etiquette for a "month" while you are in the Time Warp' answered the goblin.

Harry nodded at this addition. He looked back down at the list, scanning the names and places.

Sirius tried to cheer him up: 'Think of it this way, Harry: it's some thirteen-and-a-half months away! You get to train first, and then you have the Quidditch World Cup Final to go too! Don't be weighed down by this!'

Harry nodded, smiling, and said: 'Thank you, Ragnuk and Mrs Tonks.'

Ragnuk and Mrs Tonks stood up. Ragnuk gave a small bow, before disappearing. Mrs Tonks stayed for a moment and said: 'Harry, please call me Andromeda or Ann. Not Mrs Tonks,' she added, smiling.

Harry smiled back. He asked a question: 'Are the elves affected by the Fidelius Charm?'

Ann shook her head. 'No. They're considered your property, and so they don't actually need to be Secret-Keepers, not unlike the portraits in this Manor. Now, if we are done, I best be off, otherwise Augusta Longbottom might chew me off!' she finished. She walked down the hall and disappeared. Harry heard the front door open and then close.

He looked up at Hermione, who had been sitting rather quietly.

'That doesn't seem particularly fair, does it?' he asked.

'No, it doesn't' she replied, shaking her head.

'Maybe I should pay them, or free them,' suggested Harry.

Sirius took in a sharp breath. 'I wouldn't do that, Harry. House-elves don't like freedom. You can make their living conditions better, but _never, ever _offer elves gold or freedom. Most take offence at that,' he said.

'But what about the Malfoys house-elf; Dobby. Harry freed him, and he was happy with freedom!' said Hermione.

Sirius, however, was shaking his head. 'You get mental ones in every creature, Hermione. He is a rare exception. And let's face it; he was the _Malfoys _house-elf. It was probably much better being free than being their elf,' he said.

Sirius sighed and looked around the room. 'I'll have to place Ann back on the Black Family Tree, along with her daughter and husband. I'll have to disinherit her sisters, though.'

'Why?' asked Hermione, interested in this sudden change of topic.

'The Most Ancient and Noble House of Black has always been considered a stereotypical Slytherin, pureblood-supremacist family. My brother was even a Death Eater. But Andromeda Black did the unthinkable. She married a _muggle-born. _So she was disinherited. I, too should have been disinherited, but it looks like my mum didn't get round to it,' said Sirius.

'My other two cousins, Bella and Cissy, though, were in league. Bellatrix married Rodolphus Lestrange. They later hunted and tortured Frank and Alice Longbottom – two aurors – to insanity using the Cruciatus Curse. Yes, they were Neville's parents,' he added, seeing Harry's mouth opening to ask. 'They now lie in the long-term residency ward at St. Mungos. Narcissa Black, however, didn't become a Death Eater, but she did marry one. A marriage which the Family was extremely proud of. A marriage to the rich and influential Malfoy's.' Sirius laughed at Harry and Hermione's expressions.

'So, Draco Malfoy is your nephew of sorts?' asked Harry.

'Sort of,' admitted Sirius. 'But he's also related to you, Harry.' He laughed again, this time at Harry's paling face.

'What?' Harry managed to stammer out.

'Oh, yes. All of the Noble and Ancient Houses are related. When you only allow your pureblood sons and daughters to marry purebloods then you usually get quite a bit of inbreeding. It's funny actually. The Potter's and Longbottom's were the only two that managed to not _technically _inbreed. I think the most distant relation was something like seven generations. Inbreeding in the magical world is considered to be five generations,' Sirius said, flashing Harry a grin.

Harry smiled. 'So I'm not the product of successive generations of inbreeding?' he asked. Sirius shook his head.

'Anyway, going to tomorrow's schedule and you thirteen months of training. I think we'll have a pretty broad training regime. As well as doing a _lot _of physical exercise, we'll also do magical training; mainly getting you up to an adult level of knowledge with Defence and some other subjects, perhaps? I'll also teach you Occlumency,' said Sirius.

Harry interrupted: 'Occlumency? What's that?'.

Sirius smiled at Harry and said: Occlumency is the art of protecting one's mind. It's essentially magical mind shields to protect your mind from mental attacks.'

Harry nodded. He looked at Hermione, who seemed to be focusing on something of her own thoughts; her eyes were glazed and unfocused. Harry addressed his next question towards her: 'Will you be able to teach me Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, Hermione? I want to do the two subjects next year, instead of Divination.'

Hermione snapped out of her daydream and turned to look at Harry, with amazement on her face. 'Really, Harry?' she asked, sounding rather emotional.

Harry nodded. 'Yes, I'd rather not sit with Ron and I'd rather Trelawney didn't predict my death every lesson. And Ancient Runes and Arithmancy seem to be more beneficial,' he said.

Sirius and Hermione laughed.

'As I was saying,' said Sirius, his laughter subsiding, 'I will teach you Occlumency, and I also remember promising to teach you how to become Animagus. Well, thirteen months should be quite the time. I do promise, when you come out of that training session, no one will recognise you. When you get to Hogwarts in just _three _weeks, the school will be shocked. Hermione,' Sirius continued, addressing the witch in front of him, 'guys will be all over you. Though I suggest you visit your parents on say, the thirty-first?' suggested Sirius.

Hermione nodded. 'That's probably a good idea, Sirius. I'd hate to turn up next year, looking like I've grown a foot and significantly changed.'

Sirius laughed, and then turned to look at his godson. 'Girls will probably be drooling all over you, Harry. So be careful! Please don't make me the adoptive great uncle of a child too soon!' he said, laughing at his own joke.

Harry blushed and managed to stammer out: 'I won't.' This seemed to amuse Sirius even more.

Once he recovered, Sirius turned to look at Hermione, a small smirk still remaining on his face. 'So, Hermione, Ragnuk managed to forget a small room here at Potter Manor; in fact, _two _small rooms. Both are libraries,' he added, watching Hermione's face intently for any emotion filling it.

He wasn't disappointed. Hermione's face filled with a mixture of awe and excitement. 'How big?' she managed to get out.

Sirius smiled warmly. He stood up and said: 'Follow me.' The two teens stood up and followed Sirius down the hallway, passing even more portraits of ancient Potter family members. A few minutes later, they reached a large door. Sirius opened it and entered, leading Harry and Hermione inside.

Upon entering, Hermione gasped, and Harry's eyebrows lifted in surprise. The library was massive. Thousands of books lined the shelves around them. A single, large window was opposite the door. To the left was a large; perfect for a cold winter night. In front of the fire were comfortable sofas and armchairs. The layout reminded Harry quite a bit of the Gryffindor Common Room.

Hermione, however, payed little attention to such nuances; she was turning on the spot, looking around at all the books on the shelf.

'How many books are here?' she asked Sirius, continuing to look at the books.

'I believe there are about fifty thousand books,' said Sirius. 'But this is the "public" library. All of these books are common enough. The real library that you'll enjoy is over in the corner there,' said Sirius, pointing in a discreet corner, where - both Hermione and Harry noticed – a large trunk stood. It was not unlike Harry's school trunk.

They walked towards it. Harry decided to pick it up. The trunk was locked with strange locks. They didn't have any keys in them. Harry pressed a finger on the locks and they suddenly snapped open. Harry lifted his eyebrows in surprise, and stepped back.

'What happened?' he asked.

'It's the Potter Family Library. It contains about twelve thousand books that are the Potter Family's "heirlooms". There are quite a number of what are considered to be "family secrets". There are also a _large _number of one-of-a-kind books there, too.'

Both Harry and Hermione nodded. They decided to go into the trunk. Harry opened the trunk and saw that it seemed to be bottomless. As a brave Gryffindor he took the plunge and jumped into the trunk. He experienced a sense of falling down, before landing on his feet, the force shooting up his legs to his knees. He straightened up and looked around, just as Hermione and Sirius joined him.

This library was also large, not as large as the other: though this one had a large comfortable sofa pressed against the far wall. It was littered with blankets. The ceiling in this room was also lower. Harry and Hermione spent twenty minutes looking around the library, before going up for dinner, which the Potter elves were overjoyed to make. They seemed to have cooked today with the thought of a new master being in the house for the first time in thirteen years.

After dinner, and before going to bed, Harry decided to write a letter to his Head of House; Professor Minerva McGonagall. His main topic of discussion was his subject choice. He composed his rather short letter quickly:

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_I hope you are enjoying your summer. I wonder if you are going to the Quidditch World Cup Final? I will be going, and look forward to watching the two teams play!_

_Anyway, down to the point of this letter. After a year of Divination, I came away feeling disappointed. I wish to abandon Divination and instead take up Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. I believe these two subjects are much more beneficial to me, than the mad ravings of a woman who obviously doesn't possess the Sight._

_I have studied the third year curriculum for both subjects quite extensively this summer, and hope that I can take the third-year exam in the first few days of September?_

_Thanks,  
Harry James Potter_

Harry finished the letter. He read it over another three times, before deciding that it was fine, even if the truth was slightly exaggerated. He called Hedwig over. He tied the letter to the white owl and set her off, before climbing the stairs and searching for an appropriate room. Tanny helped him, by showing him the master suite.

The suite was absolutely luxurious. The bedroom itself was massive, with a thick, plush golden carpet. The king-sized bed was immensely soft and comfortable. There was a large desk for office work, as well as a large table with a vanity mirror. Harry assumed it was for the possible Lady Potter.

The room also contained a variety of art, though these pieces seemed to be of beautiful landscapes. The room also contained a large bookshelf which contained various books. Harry picked one of them up from the shelf and opened it. The inside cover had a handwritten note on it.

_This is the property of Lady Dorea Potter_

Harry realised with a jolt that this was his grandmothers. He picked up some of the other books and saw that they too, were his grandmothers. He had never realty given much thought to his family beyond his parents and aunt. He felt slightly guilty at this. He wondered what his grandparents had been like? And what about his other set of grandparents; the Evans'?

He realised that now was not the time. He assumed that Sirius would get them up early tomorrow, so he decided to quickly explore the rest of the room. He entered a door and realised that this was the wardrobe; a very _big _wardrobe. It seemed to be as big as the Dursley's second floor. It contained all of the clothes he had bought a week ago. But all those clothes seemed to take up a very small amount of space in comparison with the rest. There were two full-length mirrors here as well. There seemed to be a large cupboard dedicated to all sorts of jewellery. It all looked immensely _ancient _and _expensive_. It was probably enough to make a jeweller's mouth water. There was also what seemed to be training and combat gear. A small note was pinned beside this area. Harry picked it up and read it:

_For tomorrow and the next thirteen months, as well as after._

_Sirius_

Harry smiled. He wondered what his godfather had prepared for tomorrow. He left the wardrobe and walked into the other door. It was the bathroom. A wall-length mirror dominated one of the walls. It was just above the very long counter-top where a pristine white marble sink stood. A toilet was there too. There was a large bath, which seemed to be able to double as a Jacuzzi. A massive shower dominated the corner of the bathroom. The tiles on the floor and wall were black. But the bathroom was still very bright.

After taking a long, warm shower, Harry climbed into bed, amongst the throng of velvet cushions. He was quickly asleep, as he thought about just how hard tomorrow would be.

He had no idea that Sirius' "hard" was _very _different from Harry's "hard".

* * *

**There, done! It's longer than I thought it would be, but that's good, isn't it?**

**Anyway, the questions: What will the training be like? The twentieth is coming up soon, which means Mrs Weasley will have a bit of a nasty surprise at Gringotts! Let's not forget the Quidditch World Cup and how about those meetings?**

**Find out what happens to Harry and Hermione in the next chapter! I should also warn you that Harry WILL be in the Tri-Wiz, and that there is no getting out of it! It's simply necessary for the plot! Thank You!**

**Reviews and suggestions are greatly appreciated!**

**Thanks,  
SeekerGranger**


	5. Training

**_A/N: _****Here's the fifth chapter! Time for training!**

**THANK YOU for 100 REVIEWS! It makes me so happy to get such an overwhelmingly positive response! It also helps motivate me to write!**

**8,247 words**

**This chapter primarily focuses on Sirius' training of Harry and Hermione over the course of the thirteen months. There's also a few intercuts, primarily focusing on Dumbledore and Mrs Weasley.**

**Disclaimer: the majority of the characters and settings in this story are not original; they belong to Her Majesty Joanne Rowling the First. Some characters are however original. Any relation to any person; whether alive or dead, is purely accidental and coincidental, other than where the author states otherwise.**

**Rated T for language. This chapter goes from August 9th to August 22nd.**

**Hope you enjoy it, please read and review!**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Training**

The following morning proved to be an early wakeup call from one Sirius Black. He came into Harry's room and shouted at Harry: 'Wake up pup! Time for an early breakfast!'

Harry groaned. He looked over at his watch on the table. It seemed to tell him that it was _far _too early to wake up. But it seemed that Sirius wouldn't leave until Harry had actually gotten out of bed. Harry slowly shuffled out of bed, still half asleep. He went into the bathroom and began his day with a nice long shower.

Half-an-hour Harry went downstairs to the Breakfast Room. Hermione was already there. She didn't seem to be awake either. Sirius, however, was cheery and happy. He was buttering his toast and seemed to have a very strong cup of coffee under his hands. He looked up when Harry came in.

'Good Morning!' he said happily, putting down the butter knife and pushing a plate of eggs and bacon towards his godson. Harry sat down, not bothering to ask how the morning was good. As soon as he sat down, Harry's house-elf Tanny was there, offering Harry a cup of coffee. Harry had never had coffee, but decided to give it a try. Tanny poured a cup for her master. Before Harry could pick it up, Sirius dropped about three teaspoons of sugar in.

'It's really strong, and I warn you know, coffee is something you have to get used too, slowly. It's disgusting at first, but in a few months you'll be drinking strong, sugar-less coffee without any problems,' said Sirius. Harry decided not to argue this. He tried some of the coffee. It seemed to have a bitter taste, which was masked by the sugar. He could see himself liking it. The Dursley's had never allowed him coffee, primarily because they bought some expensive brand and Harry wasn't allowed expensive things.

The coffee did successfully wake Harry up. Sirius finished his own breakfast and began his short lecture about his training regime for Harry and Hermione.

'In the mornings, we'll start with a five k run around the Quidditch Pitch at about six-thirty. After that, it's shower time at about seven-fifteen. Then we'll have breakfast at about seven-thirty. At eight, we begin the morning with intense physical training. Both of you will be lifting weights, and I'll teach you how to fight with swords and the lot. At twelve, we'll break for lunch. At twelve-thirty we'll have your magical training. I want to teach you all sorts of defensive spells! At about three, we'll begin your meditation for the Animagus transformation. At five, I'll lecture both of you on wizarding laws and customs. At six-thirty we'll have dinner. At seven, the two of you can go do your own stuff, as well as your two new subjects, Harry. At nine, we'll retire to bed. That may seem early, but trust me when I say that that could not be any later; the two of you will be immensely exhausted at the end of each day. As for Occlumency, I'll teach you that along with your magical training. It's not meant to be an every-day thing; maybe two, three times a week?' said Sirius.

Both Harry and Hermione sat there, absorbing there new strict timetable. Both were surprised at just how much there was to be done, and neither complained about how they didn't seem to have any spare time, though Sirius addressed this issue: 'You'll get all of Saturday off, and you'll also get some afternoons off. I should warn you now; I _will _push you extremely hard for the first week or two. That's because they are the hardest. Your muscles will ache and be sore, because they won't be used to such a brutal regime. So _do not _ask me to go soft and easy. I will drive you hard the first few weeks.'

Both Harry and Hermione nodded, understanding that they would be training for thirteen months. Hermione, however, had a question to ask: 'When exactly will we set the Time Crystal?'

Sirius looked at her, before pulling out the crystal. 'I will set it at nine this morning. It will become defunct at nine on the twenty-second of August,' he said. Hermione nodded.

At eight a.m., Harry and Hermione stood in the training room, both wearing the leather clothes that Sirius had given them. At the moment, both looked slightly scrawny and not very attractive in the costumes. But Harry suspected that Sirius had specially designed these so that the two of them would look drop-dead-hot after the thirteen months of training. After all, leather did look pretty good on hot people.

Sirius entered the room, and after looking at them approvingly got straight into the lecture. 'We'll begin today with weight training as well as body weight training. As you can see, the Potter training room has a lot of weights and machines, as well as a lot of obstacle courses. In about two hours, I'll show you the weapons and we'll begin training with those. We'll alternate between weights and weapons every day, though,' he said.

He soon had them doing dead lifts with very small weights. And so, Harry and Hermione entered into two weeks, of what could best be described as Hell. The weapons that Sirius had them using was everything from swords to axes to bows. Harry preferred the bow and arrows, while Hermione managed to find a _very _sharp whip. Sirius saw that this was their chosen weapons, so he had them focusing on them a bit more, though axes and swords were certainly not forgotten.

At around nine, Sirius took out the emerald Time Crystal and set it onto the mantelpiece in the living room. He gestured for Harry to come forward, explaining: 'Only the Lord of the Family that owns the Crystal can activate it. You just have to say your title and say "A month to a day, a day to a month, Crystal encompass the grounds of Potter Manor and secure us for thirteen days, or thirteen months!'

Harry repeated the words while holding the Crystal. A sudden wave of magic burst from the Crystal. It formed a great barrier around Potter Manor and its grounds. Hermione had a question.

'Will we be able to communicate with outside sources?' she asked.

'Only through owl post, not floo or any other methods. Owls can enter and stay for a few days, but would really leave in about a few hours,' Sirius answered. Hermione nodded, satisfied with this answer.

After a substantial lunch, Sirius had Harry and Hermione studying #books on spells, before teaching them about various spells himself. He taught them the three Unforgivables, going as far as to cast the Imperius curse on both Harry and Hermione. He was immensely surprised and shocked when both of them managed to fully throw it off on the second attempt.

'Mad-Eye Moody would be impressed!' he said joyfully. He later went on to teach them about other various spells. After a quick break, Sirius explained what Occlumency was, and explained the basic theory. He invaded both of their minds to give them a sense of what your mind being probed was like. Harry desperately tried to hide a particular dream about Hermione. When Sirius finally relinquished his hold on the two of them, he seemed to be deeply amused by something. He gave them the basic information on how to protect their minds and left them to meditate.

At three, he returned to explain the theory behind Animagus transformation. 'You have to drink a potion that I've successfully found stored in your mum's laboratory Harry,' he said. Harry looked surprised at his.

'There's a potions lab?' Hermione managed to ask, surprised as well.

Sirius seemed to have forgotten that he hadn't mentioned that. 'Er, yeah,' he said sheepishly. He continued: 'Anyway, drinking the potion will mean that when you meditate you will be able to access your animal instincts and your animal self.'

Harry and Hermione nodded, taking this in. Sirius produced a flask of deep purple potion. He poured it into two glasses, which he handed over to the two teens. 'Just drink it now, and you should have a very special dream in the next few nights,' he said. Harry and Hermione complied, both raising the glasses to their lips and drinking the potion. It was surprisingly sweet, but not exactly something you would want a lot of.

Sirius' face changed. His expression went from joy to sudden worry. 'I forgot to give you the muscle-strengthening potions today! Damn it!' He went to seemingly fetch them and came back a few minutes later with three flasks. He produced more glasses and poured each potion into two glasses each. He handed three glasses to Harry and Hermione each.

'The first potion is a Restoring Potion. It should restore your body to what it's meant to be at your age,' he began, indicating the red potion. He next pointed at the blue potion and continued: 'This one's a muscle-strengthening potion. It should essentially accelerate muscle growth, as long as you actually train. It's sort of like muggle steroids, except it's completely harm-less. There are no side-effects to drinking it. The green potion is a magical-restoring potion. It gets rid of any glamours, enchantments and blocks. It's the only one that works immediately.'

Harry and Hermione drank the three potions. Harry suddenly felt himself changing. Both Hermione and Sirius looked at him. He felt himself filling out, and saw himself gaining some muscle.

'What just happened?' demanded Sirius, wide-eyed.

Harry thought about this. His vision seemed a bit blurry. He took his glasses off and realised that he could see perfectly. Then he remembered. 'Gryffindor's Gift!' he exclaimed, causing both Hermione and Sirius to widen their eyes even more. 'When I went to the Founder's Vault, they each gave me gifts. Hufflepuff cured my eyesight, while Gryffindor gave me strength. He said that I'd have to work for it though. Ravenclaw also gave me the gift of _understanding _knowledge,' Harry turned to Hermione. 'I can now easily understand anything I learn. I no longer struggle with understanding concepts and theory's.'

Hermione threw her arms around Harry suddenly. 'Oh Harry, well done and congratulations for the gifts! You deserve them as well!' she said into his shoulder. Harry looked at Sirius and saw that he was smiling.

'She's right, pup. You do deserve them,' he said.

Harry blushed. He was suddenly being hugged by his best friend and praised by both her and his godfather. He pulled Hermione away. 'I really think we should continue Hermione,' he said.

Hermione nodded, still smiling. They continued to listen to Sirius' lecture about Animagus. They had another break at about four forty-five, before they went into a room beside the library. It was laid out like a classroom. There was even a board with chalk. For the next hour-and-a-half Sirius lectured them about wizarding customs, traditions and laws. Both Harry and Hermione were fascinated with the "class", not least because Sirius actually managed to keep the class interesting. He also seemed to know a lot about the subject. When Harry pointed this out, Sirius laughed.

'Before I was disowned, though not officially, my mother taught me everything there is to know. I was, after all, the Scion of The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black,' he explained.

Harry nodded and continued to listen. Sirius pointed out a few laws that seemed to be incredibly prejudiced against muggle-borns. Hermione was livid, along with Harry.

'How are such laws passed, and how are they not repelled?' she asked.

Sirius answered carefully: 'In almost all legislative bodies of government around the world, as well as the general population, there are a substantial amount of moderates. There is about twenty to thirty percent who are always pureblood-prejudiced, then there is about twenty to thirty percent who are against that prejudice. That leaves about fifty to sixty percent who are moderates, and who generally vote after being presented with the evidence, or bribed, or threatened. The Wizengomat only has about sixty current seats. Harry's eighteen seats on the Wizengomat will tip the scales massively, especially as he has a number of "prestigious seats", which have an additional half-a-vote. A royal seat is also immensely powerful and influential. Most moderates will follow the Royal seat.'

'It seems incredibly corrupt,' pointed out Harry.

Sirius nodded: 'It is. The pureblood family have so much gold that they fling it around and are able to pretty much buy entire seats, only keeping the owner of that seat there as a façade. Thankfully, I, myself, have five seats on the Wizengomat as a Head of an Ancient and Most Nobel House. I'll add my support to you, Harry, when I get out. But we'll have to meet with Amelia Bones, who sits on the five Bones seats in place of her niece; Susan Bones, who's the Lady-in-waiting for the Bones House, and Augusta Longbottom, who sits on the five Longbottom seats in place of her grandson; Neville, who you probably know.' Harry and Hermione nodded their heads, so Sirius continued: 'Those two are the heads of the anti-pureblood movement essentially.'

Harry and Hermione nodded again. 'So I should organize some meetings with them before the session?' asked Harry.

'Yes, and it's best to send out an owl now. They're extremely busy people, so you need to make plans now,' said Sirius.

Harry nodded. At that, their first wizarding laws session was over. They went down to the dining room for dinner. Hedwig managed to fly in and had a letter from Professor McGonagall. Harry took the letter and ripped it open:

_Dear Mr Potter,_

_I must say, it was a pleasant surprise to see Hedwig and this letter. I am also happy that you have finally woken up and realised that it is more important to take meaningful subjects, instead of "easy" subjects._

_I am, of course happy to comply, and after speaking with both professors in charge, we have agreed that you can enter the course if you pass the third-year exam. We hope that Miss Granger will help you. You will sit the Arithmancy test on the third of September, while the Ancient Runes test will take place on the fourth._

_I will also send out your booklists at a later date (most likely around the middle of August). I do hope you are enjoying your summer, Mr Potter. I look forward to seeing you on September first._

_Sincerely,  
Professor M. McGonagall,  
Head of Gryffindor,,  
Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

_P.S. Yes, I will be attending the World Cup Final. I believe it should be an exciting match!_

Harry looked up and smiled at Hedwig. 'Thanks girl. Do you want something to eat?' he asked, offering his familiar some chicken.

_Don't mind if I do, _a voice said in his head. He froze and looked at the owl.

'You can talk?' he asked in surprise. Sirius and Hermione turned to look at him, studying him carefully.

_Of course I can, I'm your familiar. I couldn't talk to you before because you didn't have the gift to understand me,_ replied the owl. Harry was startled at this revelation. He turned to look at Sirius and Hermione, who had stopped eating.

'Hedwig is my familiar, and I can apparently talk to her,' he said, as an answer to their unspoken question. Both Sirius and Hermione nodded.

'It's not really surprising. The two of you are incredibly close to each other,' commented Sirius.

Hermione didn't offer any comment, instead, she was looking at her own pet. 'Can you talk to me?' she asked the ginger cat. Crookshanks meowed and jumped onto the table, trying to press his flat face into Hermione's plate. 'Oh, no you don't!' Hermione said to the cat. She pushed Crookshanks away. The cat meowed in indignation and turned around from Hermione, raising his tail and walking proudly away; though he did huff in irritation.

After dinner, the duo settled down in the library for Hermione's tutoring of Harry. Harry proved to be an excellent student. He always asked Hermione questions; some which she didn't know the answer too, and had, quite frankly, never even thought much about. They decided to spend three nights a week on Arithmancy and three nights a week on Ancient Runes, and because of the fact that it was one-on-one, Harry managed to get what normally would have taken two lessons to learn in one lesson.

At nine in the evening, Sirius' prediction that they'd be too tired to stay up too late after nine came true. Both Harry and Hermione trudged upstairs. Harry almost fell asleep in the shower, twice. He then climbed into bed and stared up at the ceiling. Sleep soon overwhelmed him completely. He was, after all exhausted.

The next three weeks passed like this. Harry and Hermione began the day with a run (Sirius came in his dog form). They'd shove down breakfast before going to training for four hours. They'd have a quick shower before lunch. After lunch they'd do their various magical lessons. Their wizarding laws and customs lesson continued to interest them. Harry saw rapid success in his two lessons under Hermione's guidance. At the end of each day, the two would crash on their respective beds; exhausted and sore, but otherwise happy with their results.

The three potions certainly did help them. By the third week, both Harry and Hermione noticed that they were fitter and more agile, as well as stronger and, well, _hotter. _The third week did have some distraction, as Harry decided to answer McGonagall's letter, as well as write a letter to Amelia Bones and Augusta Longbottom.

He decided that the first letter should be the one to McGonagall. He wrote a quick thank-you note to his Head of House. He then moved onto the more important letter.

_Dear Madam Bones and Madam Longbottom,_

_I wish to have a small meeting with the two of you on August thirtieth at two in the afternoon. I hoped we could meet at the Leaky Cauldron, and perhaps discuss the politics of Wizarding Britain, more specifically the Wizengomat._

_You see, I have accepted the responsibilities of becoming Lord Potter, as well as becoming Lord of a few other houses. I intend to take on my seats on August thirty-first; the first session of the year._

_I would greatly appreciate if neither of you mention this to anyone, at most Susan and Neville. Otherwise it would damage existing plans which are already in momentum. I am taking a risk in saying this in owl post, but there is no other way currently._

_I hope you can meet me on that date, and I look forward to a reply of confirmation from both of you._

_Regards,  
Harry James Potter  
Lord of The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter_

Harry looked over the letter. It was a risk to send this much information via owl post, but he felt like he had no choice at all. He knew that he could trust Neville, and probably Susan to not betray his confidence. He hoped he could do the same with his relatives. He found Hedwig in the kitchens, where she had taken up nicely as she was fed by the elves. As soon as he entered, he was ambushed by a horde of elves.

'Harry Potter, sir! It is a pleasure to see you!' said one elf.

'Would Master like anything to eat?' asked another. Harry waved them away, telling them that he had to send a few letters. He went to Hedwig and tied the two letters to her.

'Take these both to their owners please,' he told Hedwig, stroking her beautiful feathers. Hedwig looked back at him, frowning; offended that he didn't think she knew whom she was meant to take the letters to. She took off through the open window in the kitchen, disappearing quickly.

* * *

Thirteen months sounded like an immensely long time, but Harry and Hermione barely even noticed the time flying by. Because of it being summer in reality, both were sun-kissed by the end, what with thirteen months of summer and moving out of the training room outdoors for their weapons-skills and magic-skills. Both Harry and Hermione were nicely tanned, certainly something that would be noticed when they returned to Hogwarts.

Another thing that the students of Hogwarts would notice – or rather drool at – was their physiques. Thanks to the help of potions, and thanks to Sirius' training, both Harry and Hermione ended up looking worthy of posing for campaigns for Calvin Klein in their underwear.

The thirteen months of training got more and more intense as it went on. Both Harry and Hermione enjoyed their training. Their physique and magic improved immensely and they were both happy to see the positive effect it had on them. Gone was the scrawny, bespectacled boy, instead there was now an intimidating young man who looked fit to fight in a war. Also gone was the know-it-all bookworm. She still loved books and knowledge, but her back no longer curved over from the strain of the dozen books she practically always carried. She now held her own, and even her hair had managed to become a bit tamer'; not as bushy, it had become more wavy and curly. Harry's hair had gone from his messy flop to a messy hairstyle that looked like it was stolen from a boy band member.

Their Occlumency shields had improved vastly. They could now thwart attempts to penetrate their minds. They had even gone as far as to set up a massive world within their brain. This world was organized in such a way that only they could understand it. Harry's mind now looked like a massive maze, which contained an infinite number of twists and turns, as well as an infinite number of creatures that trapped anyone who was stupid enough to go in. Hermione's mind now looked like a gigantic library. It contained shelves which were some hundred feet high. Her memories were stored in books which were hard to open. Open the wrong book and you would receive a nasty surprise.

Sirius had also taught them how to perform Legillmency; the art of actually probing someone's mind. Both Harry and Hermione managed it, but got lost in each other's mind mazes. Sirius was incredibly happy with their progress.

During the third month (or the eleventh of August in real time), Harry received a reply from the two women he had asked out for a meeting:

_Dear Lord Potter,_

_First of all, we would like to jointly congratulate you on your emancipation (for that is what has obviously happened)._

_Secondly, we would like to inform you that we will be happy to attend this meeting on August thirtieth at two in the afternoon at the Leaky Cauldron. We are immensely interested to see what your take on the Wizengomat is, though we have deduced that you wish to go against the pureblood bias of the wizarding world that most of our colleagues seem to support._

_We would also like to tell you, on a more informal basis, that we have both, indeed, heard great things about you from our adoptive children; Neville and Susan. They have praised you every year for your effort in protecting the school._

_We are also more than happy to keep your confidence, as are Neville and Susan. We would never betray the trust of one of our strongest allies._

_Kind Regards,_

_Amelia Bones,  
Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement,  
Head of The Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom (Proxy as Aunt to Scion)_

_Augusta Longbottom,  
Head of The Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom (Proxy as Grandmother to Scion)_

Harry had asked Sirius a few questions after the letter had arrived:

_(Flashback)_

_Harry had smiled ruefully and then asked a question: 'What do they mean by allies?'_

_Sirius had gotten serious and said: 'The Potter House has always been a powerful House; it was considered the most powerful Family in Wizarding and even muggle Britain many times over the years. It always remained against pureblood supremacy and always waged war on Dark Lords. The Longbottom and Bones families had always allied themselves with the Potter's. The Bones Family has always been in Hufflepuff and has remained extremely loyal to the Potter's, while the Longbottom's, and at a time the Weasley's had remained the Potter families allies in Gryffindor.' Harry had nodded at this, accepting it._

_(Flashback ends)_

Harry and Hermione had also managed to get halfway through the fourth year curriculum on practically all of their courses. They had mastered the spells, with Harry always matching, and often surpassing Hermione in time required to work the magic. Hermione had, at first, been slightly peeved that someone was better than her, but had quickly conceded that she now had competition.

They had also learnt a great deal about wizarding law and customs, managing to be able to hold a few model Wizengomat sessions (with the help of the house-elves, who had acted dreadfully in their excitement to help their master in such a playful task). Harry and Hermione had both come away feeling more knowledgeable. They now knew that they could best Malfoy with words instead of hexes.

Sirius had also informed them that he had secured tickets for the World Cup final, which had been confirmed as Ireland playing against Bulgaria. The trio had managed to find an old tent in the Potter's basement. Both Harry and Hermione had been pleasantly surprised when seeing the large interior. Even Sirius had been slightly surprised. It had three bedrooms and a large bathroom and kitchen and living area. It was small, but cosy.

The most exciting part of the thirteen months of training came from their Animagus training. In the short weeks after drinking the purple potions, both Harry and Hermione had had dreams of their forms. Hermione had seen herself as some form of large cat; she wasn't entirely sure which kind, as the potion only went as far as revealing the form in a sort of misty area.

Harry, however, had been confused as to his dreams. He had had three dreams, and had asked Sirius what they were. Sirius had been shocked and had explained that there were a few recorded cases of a wizard having more than one form.

'Three since 1493, I believe,' he had said.

Harry had deduced that he also had a large cat as one of his forms. Another form seemed to be him as a large bird, he wasn't sure what exactly. His third form had been a rather interesting one; it had seemed to have been some form of a dog. Sirius had smiled in happiness at that piece of news. He had then explained that they were to meditate every day for an hour, focusing only on their forms. The aim was to imagine and feel what their limbs would feel like as Animagus.

Because of their natural Animagus ability, Harry and Hermione had been able to change into their forms in the eighth month. Hermione had turned into a large tiger; one which had stunningly messy fur on her back. Crookshanks had actually taken quite kindly to Hermione's Animagus form, going as far as sleeping between Hermione's paws, when she was sleeping as a tiger. She had later admitted to both Sirius and Harry that she could talk to Crookshanks from the first transformation, both as a human and tiger.

Harry had managed to first turn into a large black, green-eyed panther. Hermione had marveled at the colour of his fur and eyes. He had enjoyed his form immensely, and enjoyed running with Hermione through the trees. His dog form came to him a few weeks later and had turned out to be a wolf. He and Sirius had run through the fields as well. Harry had enjoyed that particular feeling. His wolf form was black with emerald eyes as well. His third form of a bird had turned out to be that of a large hawk – also black and emerald eyed – that enjoyed flying through the air with his familiar. Hedwig had been excited to be able to fly with Harry and had taken no liberty in showing Harry the freedom of flight.

_Why you choose that silly stick with twigs tied to the end is beyond me, _she had told Harry.

Sirius had warned the two of them that they had to learn how to control their transformation, especially during sleep. He had explained that spontaneous transformations were not very fun. When Hermione had asked how they managed not to be noticed at Hogwarts Sirius had replied with: 'Four of the five in our dorm knew about it. Let's just say that thanks to the fifth, me and James learnt the memory charm very well.' Hermione hadn't prompted him further.

The day finally came when Harry and Hermione had to say goodbye to the training and the regime; they had spent thirteen months - or some four hundred days – in training with Sirius. They had managed to learn everything they could. They were extremely physically fit and they were both Animagus and both knew Occlumency. Both were advanced and knew a lot of defensive and offensive spells. Sirius reminded them to "keep the ball rolling at Hogwarts". Both had understood what Sirius had meant.

The elves had outdone themselves, preparing a massive feast for the three of them. They ate till they were extremely full, and even then they had barely scraped the surface of everything provided.

Sirius bid the two of them goodnight before heading up to bed. The following morning they would run and train a bit, before taking the rest of the day off, after the Time Crystal stopped. They would pack on the twenty-third and head to the campground next to the Quidditch World Cup stadium.

Harry was soon enveloped in his blankets, which had remained just as comfortable as they had been thirteen months ago. He was soon fast asleep, not even giving a thought to the probable crisis at the Weasley's.

* * *

Molly Weasley was happy. She was currently walking down Diagon Alley towards Gringotts Bank. It was August twenty-second. In two days time, the house would be empty as her entire family – except she, herself – would be going to the Quidditch World Cup. She was also incredibly happy that the Potter brat would not be there to spoil it for her children, nor would the mudblood be there; an added bonus.

She smiled to herself. She was going to Gringotts to the "scholarship" vault to take out the fifteen thousand Galleons that was hers and her youngest children's. She deserved it; she had to take the boy in every summer practically. She was very happy when the Potter brat had gotten up and gone back to his abusive family. _They know exactly what they're doing, _she thought.

The scholarship vault had been set up by Dumbledore. The "scholarship" aspect was a ploy by Dumbledore to make it legal. She knew, of course, that it actually all came from the Potter Vault. Dumbledore had told her that he had already gotten some five million Galleons out of it! She knew that that was only a quarter. She couldn't know, or even imagine or dream that it was _much _bigger than that.

She suddenly had that weird feeling; that feeling of forgetting something important. She had had the feeling for about two weeks now, but she couldn't put her finger on why. She also knew that most of her family had had the same experience. At least, Ron and Ginny had; they had come to their mother and complained about it. Molly Weasley could only console them and remind them of their great prizes if they succeeded. _The mudblood's a mudblood, but she's the most that Ron could get, and frankly, she couldn't do much better. As for Potter, well, he _is _handsome and famous, isn't he? Perfect for Ginny, _she thought.

She stepped through the doors of Gringotts and walked to the counter. She was actually late this month; she usually collected the money on the day it came; the twentieth, but because of the final rush in organizing the family for the final, she had had no time to pop to Diagon Alley.

Stepping up to the counter she cleared her throat and said coldly: 'I'd like to visit Vault number four hundred and seventy three. I have the proper authorization here,' she finished, handing over a letter from Dumbledore.

The goblin wore a sneer, but was able to hide the smirk behind it. He knew exactly who this woman was. She had been expected two days ago; the bosses upstairs had worried she had discovered the ploy, but apparently she hadn't. The goblin had been briefed on what this woman had done, and had honestly agreed with his superior's actions. He pretended to study the note, before looking over to the door that led upstairs. He called over the guard and quickly murmured something. The guard nodded and walked away. The teller knew exactly where he was going. The guard would notify Ragnuk and the Director.

The teller looked at the Weasley matriarch and said: 'I'm afraid we've had a few administrative errors today. You'll have to wait a few minutes.' He tried to make it as sincere as a goblin should be. Molly Weasley nodded, unhappy with this delay.

A few minutes later, Ragnuk appeared and headed for Mrs Weasley. He bowed and said in an obviously faked pleasant tone: 'Ah, Mrs Weasley, I've been asked to talk with you regarding a few matters.'

Mrs Weasley failed to notice the fakeness of his tone. She said, grumpily: 'Why?'

'A few things regarding the Weasley vault and also some new policies that affect vaults such as your "scholarship" vault,' said Ragnuk, pronouncing "scholarship" sarcastically.

Mrs Weasley again failed to notice the sarcasm. She nodded: 'Very well, I'll talk with you.' She let Ragnuk lead her upstairs through various corridors and past various offices, until Ragnuk bought her to a very large and formal waiting area. The goblin secretary nodded at Ragnuk, who went straight through the doors.

Mrs Weasley followed the goblin and walked through the doors. She saw a large desk and two chairs in front of it, with another behind it and one beside it. Ragnuk took the one beside the desk, while the one behind the desk was occupied by a very formal-looking goblin; one who made Mrs Weasley fear something had gone amiss. This fear only intensified when she saw who occupied the first seat in front of the desk: her eldest son; Bill Weasley, who worked for Gringotts. She cautiously sat down in the second seat and noticed that Bill was extremely pale sitting here. His gaze flicked towards her and Mrs Weasley was shocked to see fear in her son's eyes. He was a curse-breaker; very little scared him, so if being in this office, sitting in that seat scared him then something was very wrong.

'Mrs Weasley, I am sure you are familiar with your own son; Bill Weasley, who is one of our best curse-breakers here at Gringotts. As an employee, he must be present for such proceedings. Sitting behind the desk is the Director if the British branch of Gringotts International Wizarding Bank; Narkook,' said Ragnuk, gesturing to his boss.

Mrs Weasley stared wide-eyed at the goblin behind the desk. It was no wonder why her son was nervous; the Directors of Gringotts branches were extremely secretive, never seen and never heard from. While goblins saw him often, human employees of the bank rarely saw him and knew who he was. She also knew that if _he _was involved, then it was _extremely _serious.

'Mrs Weasley, we have found a large amount of irrefutable evidence pointing to one Albus Dumbledore embezzling money from one of our most privileged clients in the _world_ and placing this money into a "scholarship" vault, which, for thirteen years, you have used to pay for your children's expenses at Hogwarts; a commendable thing, for someone of your social and financial standing, except for the fact that you received about sixty thousand Galleon a year for five years, before that was upped to a staggering one hundred and eighty _thousand _Galleons a year. Surely it doesn't cost _that _much to put your children through Hogwarts, especially when purchasing second-hand things,' said the Director.

Mrs Weasley sat there shocked that they had found out. Bill turned to face her, shock clearly written on her face. He only hoped that she hadn't-

'Of course that in itself is fine, _if _you didn't know of it, but we have evidence that you did! What's more, we know that your two youngest children were in on it; that's why the figure tripled eight years ago and also why a marriage contract appeared in one's account. What makes this even worse is that the money was payed for one purpose and one purpose only; to delude a poor, helpless child into believing he could trust, showing him the _light_ essentially. Of course, he now only has one true friend. I am sure you also know that the marriage contract was between your daughter and him. The money also came from his dead parents vault; suffice it to say, the scholarship vault now truly is a scholarship vault for one particular witch – not your daughter. The marriage contract was also successfully terminated between your daughter and one Harry James Potter-Peverell,' said the Director.

Mrs Weasley was absolutely shocked. All her crimes had been exposed, and right in front of her son. She turned to look at Bill and realised that that was a massive mistake. He was angry. He had, of course, realised just who the account holder was that his own mother had been stealing from. That was the only reason that Ragnuk was there.

Mrs Weasley could only ask one question: 'How was the contract terminated! It was bound by magic! Dumbledore signed it! He made sure that even when Potter came of age, he wouldn't be able to terminate it!'

Ragnuk actually laughed a nasty laugh. 'Mrs Weasley, he broke it quite simply; he had more families than just Potter and Peverell! Even when someone takes over one's account, unless they are the rightful owner or allowed by the previous owner, and _only _by the previous owner – not the stupid Wizengomat, then we protect that family's interest by not telling the holder everything. There is much more than twenty million Galleons there and many more titles than just Potter-Peverell! You will find out just _how _many in the next few weeks!' he said.

Mrs Weasley was stumped. She had effectively been blocked from the vault; that stopped income from flowing in. What made it worse was that the _unbreakable _contract which apparently had "absolutely no loopholes" actually did have a loophole! The final nail in the coffin was that her son was witness to these events.

Bill himself was fuming. But he wasn't fuming because of Harry; the poor boy certainly hadn't deserved this. He was furious at his mother and his two younger siblings. A sudden thought popped into his head. It filled him with dread. He addressed the Director and asked: 'What does this mean for my job, sir?'

The Director replied: 'Mr Weasley, until your family or you, yourself take appropriate action, you are suspended from work without pay. We know that you had no knowledge of this, which is why we are offering you this, but we cannot employ family of those who have committed such crimes.'

Bill nodded, understanding. He expected nothing less. He replied: 'I understand, sir. I will make amends.' He stood up, and without a word to his disgraceful mother, left. He headed towards the Gringotts floo. He was going straight to the Ministry to tell his father. He knew his father would take the day off and come with him back to the Burrow.

Molly Weasley remained in the office; tears threatening to spill. She looked at the goblins: 'What punishments am I being given?'

The Director replied: 'You and your two youngest are hereby banned from all branches of Gringotts around the world. The Weasley family vault will remain frozen until we believe that your family has taken appropriate actions. Be thankful that we are not forcing you to repay everything - under the name you used, by the way, Prewett –as Harry Potter did not wish for you to suffer that.'

'How did he manage this? He isn't even an adult!' said Mrs Weasley, knowing that if they said he wasn't she would go to Dumbledore.

'No, he is not, but neither is he Potter-Peverell, and such crimes are punished by standard, no matter who the vault holder is. Please note that Albus Dumbledore has been barred from the Potter Vault, as well as the Dumbledore Vault and he will be barred from the Hogwarts Vault. The financial responsibility will fall to Minerva McGonagall as Deputy Headmistress. I suggest you inform Dumbledore of these changes,' said Ragnuk, clearly dismissing Mrs Weasley.

The woman left the office a mess. She knew that her easy life was now over. Her first thought was to go to Hogwarts and tell Dumbledore of this new development.

* * *

Bill Weasley exited the floo in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic; he immediately made his way to the security desk and, after handing over his wand, made a beeline to the lift. He arrived on his father's level quickly. He immediately went to his father's office. It took him about ten minutes to find the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. He saw his father was chatting with someone he recognised as Ludo Bagman. He didn't care much for the man's status at the moment.

'Dad,' he said, interrupting the conversation,' I need to talk to you.'

Arthur Weasley didn't know what it was; maybe the seriousness and graveness of his eldest son's voice, maybe it was wide-eyed stare of the Head of the Department of Magical Sport, whatever it was, Arthur knew it was extremely serious.

'Er, Ludo, I'll talk to you later. Catch up with you on Wednesday,' he said to Ludo Bagman. Ludo nodded and headed out the door. Mr Weasley turned to look at his son: 'So, what's this about?'

'You're probably going to have to cancel the rest of your day's schedule. We need to find Percy and go to the Burrow. It's a serious family emergency,' said Bill gravely. Arthur nodded. He locked up his office and told his secretary to take the rest of the day off. She looked bewildered at this. Given that there was just two days to the final of the biggest event Magical Britain had seen in more than two centuries, practically every Ministry employee was working overtime. She didn't argue though; she could go home, have a bath and have a very nice long sleep.

Bill led the way to the first floor, where they found Percy with Mr Crouch. Arthur was extremely thankful at how lucky they were. He knew that his son had been running around the place, what with the final almost upon them.

'Percy, you're coming with us,' said Bill sternly. He knew Percy would probably protest, so he added: 'It's a family emergency and it's _serious_.'

Percy had always admired his two older brothers. Both had successfully gotten what they wanted. While he himself hadn't wanted to become a curse-breaker, a dragon handler or a professional Quidditch player, Percy had admired his brother's work ethic. They had always studied hard, and both now did what they wanted. Both were also extremely laid-back, so to see one of the like this was certainly serious. 'Very well, let me make a few arrangements,' he said. It took him about ten minutes to sort out, before he was able to follow his brother.

Bill led them into a small corner on the first floor and quietly told them what had transpired at Gringotts. To say they were extremely shocked and angry would have been a massive understatement.

'How could she! Harry has always been a kind spirit! He has never done _anything _to deserve such treatment! The only person who deserves something like this is Lucius Malfoy!' Arthur whispered furiously.

'The goblins were right in doing what they did. Having you there certainly insured that we'd find out sooner rather than later. How could Mother do something like this? I can see Ron and Ginny doing this, but Mother?' Percy shook his head. He was also angry at this immense betrayal.

Mr Weasley stopped whispering and began thinking. His face suddenly darkened. 'I know exactly what to do,' he said. He held up his hand, and looked at his wedding band. 'Boys, grab hold of me,' he told his sons, who did exactly that. Arthur looked at the ring and said clearly: 'As Head of the House of Weasley, I call an emergency family meeting at the Weasley family home; The Burrow. All members are to transport there now!' The ring shone brightly and the three men disappeared from the corridor of the Ministry.

* * *

After leaving the goblins office, Molly Weasley flooed directly to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore looked up, surprised to see someone suddenly entering his office.

'Ah, Molly, what can I do for you?' he asked pleasantly. He grew apprehensive when he saw Mrs Weasley's face; it was a mix of fury, pain and anguish.

'Albus, I just went to the "scholarship" vault! They took me in, and told me all my crimes! They've frozen the Weasley vault! They've renamed the "scholarship" vault! They've even stripped you of your financial manager position for the Potter Vault!' she cried.

'That's not possible,' said Dumbledore quietly. There was no twinkle in his eyes.

'To top it all off, they've broken the marriage contract because Potter's not Potter-Prewett, but something more! They at least said that they wouldn't force me to pay it all back, but that was because Potter said not too! They said all of it in front of Bill, as well! He's most likely gone straight to Arthur! Oh, what do I do?' she said, tears falling down her face.

Dumbledore simply sat there. Never, ever had anyone managed to gain the upper hand over him, but apparently Harry Potter had managed it. 'When did he go?' Dumbledore managed to ask.

Mrs Weasley shrugged her shoulders. 'I have absolutely no idea,' she said. 'But it seems to have been rather recent. But what am I going to tell Arthur, Albus?' she asked, turning to look at her mentor and the person she followed blindly.

Dumbledore, however, had no idea himself. He was thankfully saved by Molly's ring suddenly shining brightly; she let out a loud gasp, before disappearing. Dumbledore sat there for ten more minutes, thinking of what to do. He got up and began plotting.

* * *

**There! Finished! Another chapter done. Overall, I enjoyed writing this chapter. The next one is, of course, about the Quidditch World Cup!**

**So, what will happen to Molly, Ron and Ginny? What about the Quidditch World Cup? How will Bill get his job back? The meeting with Rita Skeeter? The meetings with all those foreign dignitaries? Find out by reading on!**

**As for any possible Harry/Hermione story, yes, that is the direction I'm headed. Why isn't there any romance here? Because it's practically boot camp, they're training hardcore, so they don't have time for romance, and it's not the time just now.**

**As for wizarding customs and laws, yes, they will eventually be discussed. Just not here. They'll come along in later chapters, so look out for them.**

**I greatly appreciate your comments and thoughts about my story! ALSO NOTE: Please suggest names for the animagus forms, you know like Prongs, Snuffles, Wormtail, etc.**

**Here's a small SNEAK PEEK from CHAPTER EIGHT (8):**

_…'I think that seven hours is more than enough time to tell you a short summary of the history,' he continued. 'Now then, House Potter is so big, and rich, and powerful, because of its roots and a good deal of good luck along the way.'_

_'I must be the counter-weight to all that good luck,' muttered Harry. Sirius smiled grimly…_

**Thanks,  
SeekerGranger**


	6. The Quidditch World Cup

**_A/N: _****Time for the Quidditch World Cup with the sixth chapter! Thank you for all the reviews!**

**8,427 words**

**Disclaimer: the majority of the characters and settings in this story are not original; they belong to Her Majesty Joanne Rowling the First. Some characters are however original. Any relation to any person; whether alive or dead, is purely accidental and coincidental, other than where the author states otherwise.**

**Rated T for language. This chapter goes from August 22nd to August 25th.**

**Please Read and Review.**

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Quidditch World Cup**

Harry Potter woke up, feeling oddly happy, for seemingly no particular reason. He stretched in bed, before getting up to do his morning routine. He splashed some water on his face, before putting on his running suit and some trainers. He met Hermione downstairs, and after being joined by a big black shaggy dog they went for a nice morning jog.

When they had run some five miles, they turned back and Harry and Hermione changed into a tiger and panther. They - along with the black dog – sprinted back to Potter Manor. The three of them transformed into their human forms and laughed. They all went to have a quick shower, before sitting down for breakfast.

'So, today we rejoin the wizarding world,' Hermione started the conversation.

'Yep, thirteen months for us, thirteen days for them. I think it's rather nice,' Harry replied, reaching out to grab the jam. A bicep rippled under his shirt.

The trio ate quickly, making small talk about what they would do, and laughing at the ideas of how the wizarding world had probably changed dramatically in two weeks.

After breakfast, the three went to train for an hour. They enjoyed the physical task, and were happy to continue on until twelve, except for the fact that a particular crystal was waiting for them. They entered the main living room and Harry went towards the mantelpiece. The emerald crystal was vibrating slightly and glowing.

When the clock struck nine, an invisible magical barrier extended back towards the crystal. The crystal shone blindingly bright, before fading and becoming the normal crystal it had been some thirteen months – or days – ago.

'So, our plan for tomorrow is to go to the Quidditch World Cup. What's our plan for today?' asked Sirius.

Fate worked in a funny way, thought Harry as a barn owl flew through the window. It landed on the back of one of the armchairs. A second owl flew in a moment later and landed right beside it. Both owls held their legs out, and looked expectantly at Harry and Hermione. The two teens went to the birds, and untied the letters. Harry recognised the seal on the envelope.

'It's from Hogwarts!' exclaimed Hermione. Sirius smiled.

Harry opened his letter and read through it. It basically said the usual; term begins on September first, train departs from Platform 9 ¾ at eleven a.m., school books to buy, and a seemingly random edition that made Harry curious.

'Why are there dress robes on the list?' he asked, looking at Sirius.

Sirius laughed. 'That will be a sight to see. I'd say it's because of the Yule Ball this Christmas,' he said, his laughter subsiding.

Hermione let it out an "oh", while Harry, still confused, asked: 'What's the Yule Ball?'

'It's the ball held on Christmas day for the Triwizard Tournament,' replied Hermione. Her face suddenly darkened. She looked at Sirius: 'Surely they're not reinstating it?'

Sirius seemed to look uncomfortable. 'I'm afraid they are. They're hoping it will show some sort of international unity,' he answered, not looking at Hermione.

'I'm sorry, but what's the Triwizard Tournament?' asked Harry.

Hermione launched into lecture-mode: 'The Triwizard Tournament was established in the thirteenth century as a Tournament between the three great schools of Europe; Beauxbatons of France, Durmstrang of some northern country, and Hogwarts. The Tournament was held every five years. A "champion" was selected to represent each school, and the three participants took part in three separate and highly dangerous tasks. The winner received the Triwizard Cup and one thousand Galleons in prize money. That winner was generally determined by scores. There are five judges; the three Heads of school, and usually two members of the organising team. The tournament was disbanded about a hundred years ago, after the death toll was deemed far too high.'

'_Death toll,_' asked Harry, slightly worried.

Hermione nodded: 'Yes, the death toll. Which is the precise reason it's idiotic to organise this!' she said, addressing the last part to Sirius.

'I know, but they've put in measures to help. Only those of age can compete, and they'll probably get some form of help,' said Sirius. Hermione huffed her annoyance. Crookshanks leaped up to sit on Hermione's lap, trying to comfort his mistress. It seemed to work, as Hermione visibly relaxed and began scratching between Crookshanks' ears, earning the cats purrs in return.

'We should perhaps go to Diagon Alley to get this stuff,' suggested Sirius, taking the list from Harry and looking over it, 'I dare say we won't have time later, and it's probably best to get some good dress robes sooner rather than later, least they sell out of good ones.'

Hermione nodded her approval. Harry also nodded, a bit more nervously. This was the first time they'd be going out to the wider world in what had been – for them, at least – thirteen months of training.

The trio went off to get ready for their trip, including applying Glamours to themselves. Half-an-hour later, they were walking down the front drive, waving to Tanny. They stepped beyond the boundaries of Potter Manor and quickly Disapparated to Diagon Alley.

* * *

Arthur Weasley was furious. At the moment he was pacing the living room of the Burrow, waiting for the arrival of his wife and second eldest son. The rest of his children were sitting on the sofas. Both Bill and Percy knew why their father was furious, but the rest of the Weasley children were oblivious to what was about to happen.

Percy surveyed the room, looking at his siblings. He had a deep respect for his family. His father may not earn a lot, but at least he done what he loved; played with muggle toys. Percy's older brother Charlie was the same; except instead of muggle toys, it was dragons. Both of them could have gone on and done other things, but they had feverishly pursued their deepest interests, and Percy admired them for that.

Bill, on the other hand, had pursued something that had surprised the family. Most of the family and most of Hogwarts – back then – had expected William Weasley to go into the Ministry. Curse-breaking had been a surprising career choice for the man. But Percy had always admired his eldest brother's work ethic, and for that work ethic to also be admired by the goblins was also surprising. Goblins rarely looked beyond themselves and their gold, but Bill seemed to be an exception.

The twins were also another matter. Percy would never admit it, of course, but the truth was that he admired Fred and George's pranks. He certainly didn't like them (the pranks); after all, he was a firm believer in everything being neat and orderly, but the effort that the twins actually put into their pranks and their joke merchandise was surprising. Percy had to admit that he would probably happily go to a joke shop opened by those two. They were, after all, great pranksters, and even if he couldn't admire the pranks and jokes themselves, he could certainly admire the effort behind them.

Then there was Ron. Percy didn't particularly like his youngest brother; Ron had always been spoilt as a child. Ron had been given breaks by all his family, Percy included. The fiery boy was jealous of everyone, especially his seemingly-best-friend-which-was-an-act Harry Potter, but he was also envious of his older brothers. Ron had always expected an easy ride, and Percy knew that the only reason Ronald was even in fourth year was because of Hermione Granger. Now that she knew of his betrayal, Percy doubted that Ron would pass the year.

That left Ginny. Ginny had become jealous as well. The fact that she was told stories about the Boy-Who-Lived hadn't helped. She had developed an infatuation with Harry Potter from an early age. Percy had realised - around the same time as Bill and Charlie had – that the obsession was nowhere _near _healthy. The three brothers had confronted their father, who had seen their point and agreed. He had privately been rejected of his ideas by his wife – it was now obvious as to just why.

Percy's thoughts were interrupted by a loud POP and there stood the final Weasley child; Charlie. He looked around at the seated family, and when he realised who was missing asked: 'Where's Mum?'

Arthur held up a finger. A moment later, a blue light filled the room and the final member of the Weasley family stood there. She looked nervously around at the whole family. She saw that Bill was seething, Arthur was angry, Percy looked blank, and Charlie and the rest were confused, though Ron and Ginny looked slightly nervous.

'So, now that we're all here-,' began Fred.

'-why have we been called-,' continued George.

'-to this great, big-,' resumed Fred.

'-family meeting,' finished George.

Arthur held up a hand to silence them, still looking at his wife. The twins seemed to realise just how serious this was, and decided to stop joking. 'How long has it gone one?' asked Mr Weasley quietly.

Mrs Weasley closed her eyes, her hands trembling. 'Thirteen years,' she answered, just as quietly.

'So, for thirteen years, you have been receiving five thousand Galleons a month which came from the Potter Vault. This was organised by Dumbledore, so that Harry could be manipulated when he came to Hogwarts,' began Mr Weasley. Those who had been unaware looked shocked and devastated. Charlie, Fred and George faces expressed shock before turning angry.

Mr Weasley wasn't finished: 'Eight years ago, you go sign a contract which practically means Harry _has _to marry our daughter. A _magical _contract,' emphasised Arthur. Ginny squirmed uncomfortably, while some of the members of the family looked angry.

'Thankfully, Harry has managed to get out of it. But that's not the great thing. The great thing is that you manage to twist our two youngest children; turning them into Slytherins. They each begin getting paid five thousand a month as well. Ron's aim is to befriend Harry and make sure he has a biased opinion of Slytherin's, while Ginny's mission is to win the affections of Harry. You know, I wondered why our food tasted differently earlier this month. I tested some of it. It contained love potions. They were aimed at Harry and Hermione; Harry would get Ginny, but Ron would get Hermione. He would get her as if she were some sort of _prize_,' Arthur finished, in a deadly quiet voice.

This was clearly news to Bill and Percy. They, along with Charlie, Fred and George looked at their mother, Ron and Ginny in utter disgust and loathing.

'To top it off, Molly,' said Arthur,' you get the Weasley vault frozen, as well as getting Bill suspended without pay until this is all sorted out.'

Molly Weasley looked close to tears, while Ron and Ginny had deathly white faces.

'I value Bill's job, and don't doubt that he would rather cast himself off to go work for Gringotts then stay with a family that contains three traitors. Quite frankly, I wouldn't blame him.'

Tears were now falling down Molly Weasley's face.

'It's why I've come to a conclusion; I married the wrong woman twenty-some years ago,' began Arthur. Molly opened her mouth in shock, realising what he was doing, Arthur continued: 'as such I've decided to cast you off.'

He then turned to look at Ron and Ginny. They pulled back from the gaze, afraid of what was going to happen. 'It seems that I haven't even raised my two youngest, which means I don't consider them my own. I therefore cast you Molly Weasley, Ronald Bilius Weasley and Ginerva Molly Weasley out of the Weasley family. I renounce my claim on the three of you and disown all three of you from any inheritance. You are no longer part of this family. I hereby declare you, using the Family Magic; Molly Prewett, Ronald Prewett and Ginerva Prewett.'

The three new Prewett's were shocked at Arthur's statement. Molly's ring disappeared, signifying that the magic had worked. She fell to her knees. 'No, Arthur, please! I did what was best! We were desperate!' she pleaded.

The rest of the Weasley's looked on in disgust.

'A thousand Galleons a year would have been enough, Molly. In fact, I'm sure Harry wouldn't have minded, but fifteen thousand a month? That was certainly greed. Go away, I hereby banish you from The Burrow!' proclaimed Arthur.

The three new Prewett's disappeared; leaving the now-six Weasley's alone. Arthur turned to look at the twins. He smiled: 'I'm sure it won't be hard to put you two through Hogwarts for two more years, will it?' The twins were still slightly shocked, but they nodded.

Arthur turned to address his five sons. 'I will not blame you if you wish to visit your mother; she is, after all, still your mother. I only cast her away because she has betrayed the Weasley clan and stained it. I am sorry you had to see that,' he said, shaking his head.

Bill spoke next: 'We should go to Gringotts and tell them what we have done. Knowing as much as I do about goblins, I can tell you that this will be enough to reinstate my job and to unfreeze the vault.'

Arthur nodded. 'We'll go; I've already taken the day off. We can go to the cup in two days time, but today we might as well get the twins stuff for the year.'

The six Weasley men flooed to Diagon Alley and made their way to Gringotts.

* * *

Another group making their way to Gringotts at that moment was Sirius, Harry and Hermione. They entered the foyer and went straight to the teller. He actually smiled when he saw them.

'Well, well, Lord Potter, Lord Black and Miss Granger, welcome back. Ragnuk would probably like to see you, so I'll go get him,' the teller said.

'Thank you, sir,' replied Harry respectfully, with a bow. The goblin put a small CLOSED sign on the desk and went to search for Ragnuk. He returned a minute later with the goblin in tow.

'Ah, Lord Potter! It's good to see you! Funny that you're here, Mrs Weasley left about an hour ago, after we'd informed her of the circumstances. Her eldest son was also there,' said the goblin.

'Really?' asked Harry, surprised.

Ragnuk nodded. 'Yes, now, what would you like?' he asked.

'Access to the Potter vault,' said Harry respectfully. 'My companions would also like to access their own vaults.'

Ragnuk nodded and beckoned them forward, leading them to the carts. Half-an-hour later they emerged, with their gold bags light, thanks to the feather-light charm. The three blondes were laughing with Ragnuk when they noticed six red-haired figures sitting in front of one of the tellers. Surprisingly, the Director himself was there, overseeing the meeting.

'Let's get closer,' suggested Hermione, in her Glamoured blond, blue-eyed state. Sirius – her pretend blonde, blue-eyed father – and Harry – her pretend twin brother – nodded.

They approached cautiously, making it look as if it were natural. Ragnuk came with them. They stopped halfway to the exit – close enough that they could hear (their Animagus transformations had increased their human senses), but not so close that they would arouse suspicion. They could hear what was being said perfectly:

'I have disowned my wife entirely; I've made her a Prewett, along with my two youngest,' Arthur Weasley's voice carried over.

Movement of parchment was heard before the Director spoke: 'Yes, we see that Molly Weasley, Ronald and Ginerva have all become Prewett's, which means that we can now unfreeze your vault.'

An audible sigh was heard from Arthur Weasley. 'Thank you,' he said.

'That is not a problem. We discover things about people we thought we knew all the time. As for your children; every family has a black sheep, though you seem to have two,' said the Director in an amused voice. His tone suddenly became serious: 'Two thousand Galleons have been placed in a separate vault for a Frederic and George Weasley. The note attached says to use it for Hogwarts and for a joke shop.'

A few laughs were emitted. One of the twins asked in a stunned voice: 'Who transferred the gold?'

'Harry Potter,' replied the Director, before addressing Bill: 'You may return to work next week Weasley. There is the Cup that you have taken time off for, and your family will need to deal with this. You can come in at eleven-thirty on September first. Your days off will be payed.'

'Thank you,' came the voice of Bill Weasley. Harry, Hermione and Sirius had decided that they had heard enough. They bid Ragnuk goodbye and left Gringotts for some shopping. After two hours of shopping (most of which was spent in Flourish and Blott's) the trio Apparated to Potter Manor and retired for the evening. After dinner, Harry and Hermione decided to practise some of their spells and continued until ten, before Sirius came in and ushered them to their respective bedrooms. The house was silent by eleven that night.

* * *

The house was certainly _not _silent the following morning. Having run in the morning and having showered, the trio were now packing quickly for their camping trip. The tent was already packed, as well as most of the food. They had bought about a hundred Galleons with them, as well as muggle money which would be used to pay the camping ground owners.

The elves had decided to bid them farewell with a rather lovely breakfast. They had also gone about changing the trio's appearance. Sirius, Harry and Hermione were now French blondes. Harry and Sirius had managed to learn a number of languages, along with Hermione, during the evenings, especially after Harry and Hermione got bored of schoolwork. All three now knew French, German, Italian and Spanish fluently. They had also managed to learn some Egyptian,. Which Hermione had pointed out would come in handy with Harry's duties as Lord Abubakar.

The idea was that Sirius was their widowed father, while Harry and Hermione were fraternal twins. They were all blonde and blue-eyed. They had been able to keep their physique, but the elves had changed their faces dramatically. All three now had rather high cheekbones, but the elves thankfully only really had to change Sirius' physique, as Harry and Hermione were now unrecognisable, especially without Hermione's bushy hair or Harry's scar and glasses.

Around lunchtime, the trio walked away from Potter Manor, carrying backpacks. Sirius grabbed hold of the just beyond the boundary, and he Disapparated, pulling them along. They appeared in a small patch of ground between a cluster of trees. Looking around, Harry heard, rather than saw, the sound of thousands of Quidditch fanatics. Because of the way the ticket system worked, the cheaper your ticket was, the earlier you had to arrive and the later you left. The cheap seats had to arrive three weeks before the match and leave after one week. The simple reason was that a hundred thousand witches and wizards appearing out of the blue in a single day would attract the attention of muggles.

The "family" walked through the forest and quickly found a muggle who was organising the camping ground. Hermione decided to take the lead. 'Er, bonjour,' she offered. The muggle turned around and Hermione asked for directions in perfect French.

'Sorry, don't speak French,' said the muggle, smiling sweetly at Hermione.

Hermione pulled back slightly, as in shock and then said in accented English: 'Er, do 'ou 'now where ve should go?' She offered him a map.

After help from the muggle, they walked through a row of tents and found there spot. They managed to set their tent up quickly, primarily because Hermione had gone camping with her parents before. They shared the responsibility of cooking dinner, appearing like a real family. They then went exploring. They passed by a large number of tents. Harry recognised a lot of people; Seamus Finnigan, Oliver Wood, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, even Professor McGonagall! The only regret that Harry had was not being able to come as himself, without the disguise.

They went to bed at the normal time of nine, though both Harry and Hermione suspected that they would begin going to bed at or eleven when they returned to Hogwarts.

* * *

At Hogwarts at that very moment, an extremely irate Headmaster was muttering darkly to himself. The Potter boy had managed to worm free of Dumbledore's grasp. He had left the Weasley's earlier that month, presumably to go back to the Dursley's, but according to the lookout, he had never showed up. That left the question of where he was.

Dumbledore knew that the boy had visited Gringotts. As soon as Molly had left, Dumbledore stormed into Gringotts angrily, shouting abuse at the goblins. He demanded to regain control over the accounts of his charge, but the goblin had actually _laughed_, right at Dumbledore. They had said that he could go to the Wizengomat, and it still wouldn't work. Dumbledore smiled to himself. It _would _work. The Wizengomat would do everything possible to protect the Boy-Who-Lived.

Dumbledore's biggest worry was just how much Potter knew. If he knew that he could claim those five or so seats on the Wizengomat, then Dumbledore was gone. Those other, possible lordships also worried Dumbledore. He knew they weren't a bluff, as magical contracts could only be burnt if there is more houses tied to that particular someone.

If the boy was emancipated, the Dumbledore shuddered to think what would happen. The boy could control his own life, even possibly leave Britain. Dumbledore had to regain Potter's trust and he had to be able to control him. Potter needed to _die. _It was for the Greater Good.

The only other thing that actually worried Albus Dumbledore at the moment was the Hogwarts account. Someone had actually managed to block Dumbledore from accessing it! Only Minerva could access it now! The Board of Governors could too, but they had to write an official letter and sign it! He'd have to bring that up at the Wizengomat on the thirty-first, as well.

Then there was Molly. It didn't surprise Dumbledore that Arthur had taken his chosen course of action. What _had _surprised Dumbledore was the lack of sympathy or regret that the Weasley patriarch had shown. Dumbledore had thought that he would be nervous, or felt out-of-his-depth, but he hadn't. Arthur Weasley had stood up to his wife and disowned her and his two youngest children. The school itself had already accepted this; both Ronald's and Ginerva's names had changed to "Ronald Prewett" and "Ginerva Prewett". Only the Weasley twins now went to Hogwarts, and that was for two more years, only.

* * *

The following morning dawned bright and cold. Harry and Hermione both woke up early and decided that just because they were on vacation, doesn't mean they should forgo their training regime. They got dressed and quickly headed out. They decided to simply jog in their human forms; a tiger and panther running through the campground was probably not a good idea. They headed out in the morning sunlight and passed by tents whose inhabitants were either still sleeping, simply lazing about or else slowly waking up to the most exciting day of the sports calendar in four years.

Both Harry and Hermione were enjoying themselves so much that they were oblivious to where they were running too, so you could say they didn't see group of redheads they ploughed into. Harry and Hermione landed on their asses, swearing and cursing. They looked around to see who had been the victims of their crash and their jaws dropped when they saw three familiar faces.

Standing in front of them were Bill, Freed and George Weasley. The three Weasley's were looking down at them. 'Sorry,' said Harry, in a French accent.

The three Weasley's twins raised their eyebrows at his accent, their eyes drifted to Hermione. Fred offered his hand to Harry, who took it. Hermione was helped up by George.

'It's alright,' said Bill passively.

'Oh no, ve are so sorry to 'ave cra'shed into you,' said Hermione, laying the French on thick.

'It's quite alright. We were just going to get some water,' said Fred to Hermione.

'Oh, really?' asked Hermione. 'Ve vere just running.'

Fred nodded, and then blushed. Harry suddenly became suspicious of what was going on. He turned to his "sister" and said in French: 'We should go, Father will be waiting for us.' Hermione turned to look at him and nodded. Harry looked back at the three Weasley's. 'Ve are sorry, but our 'ather vants us back quickly,' said Harry. The Weasley's nodded and Harry and Hermione jogged back to their tent.

When they go there, they told Sirius of their encounter and the trio laughed. When Sirius went to go make breakfast, Hermione cornered Harry.

'What was that about Harry?' she asked. Harry squirmed uncomfortably.

'I just didn't like how Fred and George were looking at you,' he replied half-truthfully. He couldn't tell her that he was jealous. Hermione seemed to study him for a moment before nodding.

'Okay, we should probably go get ready. We should also go through your interview for tomorrow,' she said, looping her arm through his and steering him into the tent. Harry groaned at her suggestion, He had been dreading the blasted interview for "months". Now it was almost upon them, and Harry wasn't particularly happy.

Harry and Hermione went over all the possible interview questions. Hermione played the part of reporter surprisingly well. Harry suffered throughout the entire ordeal. He didn't particularly agree with how the whole thing had been set out:

The first interview would take place tomorrow, just before they left for London and the Queen. The first interview would highlight Harry's brief history and all of his titles, revealing, for the first time in five centuries,_ just_ how powerful the Potter Family really was. It would be published on September first; the day after the first Wizengomat session, where Harry would claim his seats.

The second interview would take place on August thirty-first. It would address Dumbledore's wrong-doing and would be published on September fifth. The third interview would be done along with the second interview. It would highlight Hogwarts falling standards and how Harry, as the Founder's Heir, would improve said standards. He could, after all, do anything he wanted; even the Headmaster wouldn't be able to override him. That interview would be published on September ninth. Harry already knew just how he would address said standards.

They finished the mock interviews after lunch, and then they began to make their way towards the stadium, at around five in the afternoon. On the way, the "family" bought some souvenirs; mainly Bulgarian souvenirs. They were, after all, French, and so it made sense for them to support Bulgaria and not Ireland, even if their hearts lay there. They also bought a pair of Ominoculars each, paying ten Galleons a pair.

They climbed the many staircases and finally came to their seats. The seats were fairly decent and had a pretty good view. Surprisingly, out of the three of them, Hermione seemed to be the most excited.

'Oh, this is so great!' she squealed happily.

Harry smiled at Hermione's antics. He really shouldn't have been surprised. He had successfully managed to coax her onto a broom, and after a few months of being scared she suddenly grew a pair and became surprisingly confident in her flying. Harry had told her she had to try out for Chaser. She had smiled and said: 'We'll see.' Harry would now have to wait for an entire year to see.

The trio waited for another two hours, as the stadium slowly filled up. At last Ludo Bagman's voice rang through the stadium, welcoming everyone to the four hundred-and-something World Cup. He had then announced the entrance of the mascots. Both Sirius and Hermione were impressed when the Veela charms didn't affect Harry. He explained that it was probably one of the Founder's gifts.

When play finally started, Harry had no idea where to look. The speed with which the players moved was absolutely incredible. It wasn't surprising that accidents happened so often in professional Quidditch. Ireland's Seeker seemed to hit the ground, twice – hard. The game finally ended with Bulgaria's Viktor Krum catching the Snitch, but Ireland winning the game. Harry saw the six Weasley's in the corner of the screen when Ireland was presented with the Cup.

Harry and Hermione joined the massive after-party. The Bulgarian party seemed more subdued than the Irish one, but it was still loud and raucous and lasted well into the night. Harry and Hermione only returned at about midnight and quickly went to their own bedrooms and fell asleep quickly. Both were a bit tipsy, after having a bit of firewhiskey that they had been offered.

It seemed just seconds later that the amazing dream turned into a terrible nightmare. Harry was shaken awake by Sirius. Slightly hung-over, Harry didn't understand what Sirius was saying, so he tried to focus on the words.

'Harry, we've got to get out of here! Do you hear me?' Sirius shook Harry a bit. Harry nodded, staring wide-eyed at his godfather. Sirius grabbed Harry and pulled him out of the tent, where Hermione was already waiting. Harry could hear screams in the distance. People seemed to be running around the Irish camp, and flames licked the night air. A few curious people peeked out of their tents in the Bulgarian embankment.

Sirius waved his wand and the tent folded itself. Before he could continue, a bright green light shot through the night sky. Harry at first thought it was a firework, but the bolt of light seemed to strike the stars and twisted in on itself, turning into a skull and dark snake twisting from the mouth.

The appearance of this mark resulted in screams of terror from everywhere. Those who had been peeking out of their tents now went back in and came out, quickly Dissapparating. The screams woke the rest of the tents, and soon people were running and screaming everywhere.

Sirius quickly grabbed the tent and screamed at Harry and Hermione: 'Grab hold of me!' As soon as they did, Sirius turned on the spot and twisted through space. The trio appeared quickly on the front drive of Potter Manor. The silence was almost deafening. It was peaceful here, compared to the screams back at the World Cup.

It was also really dark. Sirius quickly strode down the drive, with Harry and Hermione hot on his heels. They quickly reached Potter Manor, where a familiar house-elf opened the door.

'Oh, Master Harry, Mistress Hermione and Master Sirius, Tanny and the other house-elves not expecting you till morning!' she exclaimed, staring worriedly at the three humans.

'There was a spot of trouble at the Cup,' said Sirius. Tanny nodded and stepped aside, opening the door wider, allowing the three in. She snapped her fingers and the three humans changed into their normal selves.

'We're going to bed,' said Harry warily. Tanny nodded; her expression solemn. Sirius, Hermione and Harry trudged upstairs and were very quickly asleep.

* * *

The three residents of Potter Manor slept in till ten the following morning. When they finally woke up they forgot about their usual morning routine. Instead, they sleepily walked down to breakfast, which the elves had already prepared. As Harry buttered some toast, Sirius began their day's routine:

'We have the interview at one this afternoon. We meet up with Ragnuk and Anne at about twelve-thirty. We have to go over what you're going to say one more time Harry,' he said. Harry could nod; he was too tired to talk.

'What are we doing after the interview?' asked Hermione; who was also tired, but could manage talking.

'I believe Ragnuk wants to teach you proper etiquette in regards to meeting a bunch of important people,' said Sirius. Hermione nodded.

When breakfast was done Harry and Hermione went to the small pond in the forest. They had accidently stumbled across it in their fourth month; ever since, they had been going to the pond almost daily. They particularly enjoyed swimming in their cat forms in the pond. Hermione changed into her tiger form almost immediately and jumped into the water, creating a giant splash which hit Harry.

'Hermione!' he said indignantly. Hermione gave a slight roar, which Harry knew was a chuckle. He immediately changed into his panther form and jumped in right after her. He surfaced and, when he saw her, jumped right after the tiger, landing on top of her. She gave a roar, lifting a paw to try and swat Harry away. She hit his face, and he rolled over into the water. He surfaced and saw a shape move in the corner of his eye before it hit him full on.

The tiger and panther played like this for another hour, before emerging from the water and changing back into their human forms. They took one look at each other and cracked up laughing.

'That was certainly fun,' said Harry as he looped an arm around Hermione's waist.

'Yeah, it was,' said Hermione, leaning her head against his chest as they began walking away from the pond. 'But now it's time for your interview!' she said in a mock excited voice. She caught sight of Harry's terrified face and laughed. 'Are you really that scared of this?' she asked.

Harry shook his head. 'Not really; what scares me more is the idea of me stuffing up in the interview,' he said.

Hermione nodded her head. 'I guess that makes sense,' she said. They continued to walk in a comfortable silence. When they reached Potter Manor, they saw Sirius standing there, holding a newspaper.

'It seems our reporter had some fun last night,' he said, smirking. He threw the paper to Harry, who caught it and smoothed it out, before reading it aloud:

**_Terror at the World Cup!  
_**_by Rita Skeeter_

_The night began with a party, as the green-cloaked supporters screamed in delight at Ireland's victory of the four-hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup (Bulgaria's Viktor Krum caught the Snitch). Those screams of joy soon screamed turned into screams of terror as Death Eaters appeared._

_Death Eaters are, of course, the supporter's of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and were seemingly rounded up thirteen years ago, after the disappearance of their Lord at the hands of the Boy-Who-Lived' Harry Potter (an interview with the Boy-Who-Lived will be published in this paper on September first, written by this very reporter). Most Death Eaters were sent to Azkaban for life, but many claimed that they were under the Imperius Curse. It seems that the Ministry made a mistake._

_Witnesses described the attack as "truly terrifying". One witness had this to say: "They hoisted up a family of muggles; the father, mother and two small children. They had 'fun' with them. It was absolutely disgusting." So, why did the Death Eaters come join the party and who was actually amongst them._

_St Mungos Psychiatric Ward Healer Dave Adams explained: "The Death Eaters were most likely drunk; they saw this massive site and decided to have fun, playing around and reminding the world that they're still out there"; Something that is truly a terrible reminder._

_The most terrifying moment was when the infamous Dark Mark appeared over the skies of the campground. The Ministry refused to confirm rumours that a body was found in the woods behind the stadium. "We have no information in regards to any body being found in the woods," said Amelia Bones; Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement._

_So who was amongst the throng of Death Eaters? One witness confirms that they saw Macnair – who works as an executioner for the Department of Magical Creatures – amongst the small army. "I recognised him from some of the old Prophet photos. It was definitely him! He was just laughing and his mask accidently slipped off!" screamed the witness in terror._

_We, here at the Prophet, sincerely hope that the Ministry of Magic will perform a very thorough investigation into the terror at the Cup. Especially given that this event will certainly make international headlines. Our Ministry should do it's best to appear like the mighty powerhouse that it is._

'Oh, that's brilliant!' said Harry, laughing. 'They've made it sound so sarcastic!'

Hermione gave a weak smile. 'They managed to get you in there,' she pointed out. This sobered Harry up immediately.

'Hmm, they have, haven't they?' he said. 'It's not really surprising, is it?'

Sirius laughed. 'No, it's not. You probably don't get the Prophet usually, do you?' Harry shook his head. 'Well, they try to get your name in there as much as possible,' said Sirius, smiling.

'What?' asked Harry, shocked.

'Oh, yeah, they put you in wherever they can. It sells more copies, see?' said Sirius.

Harry let out a loud sigh, before throwing the paper back at Sirius. He stomped back into the Manor, heading for his room, to get ready for the interview. Twenty minutes later, he was ready. He went back downstairs and found Hermione and Sirius were also ready. All three were wearing robes. Sirius and Hermione were disguised as blondes; though not their French blondes. Sirius would pretend to be Harry's guard, while Hermione would appear to be Harry's P.A. They would order Rita to not in any way mention them in the article.

They walked beyond the boundary of the Manor and quickly Disapparated to Diagon Alley. They found themselves in one of the small corners of the Alley. They quickly walked through the crowd of shoppers. It was, after all, near the end of August and students and their families were out in force shopping for their school supplies. They quickly got to Tonks & Associates without any problems; no one had recognised Harry, thankfully.

Andromeda Tonks was already waiting in her office, whilst Ragnuk was pacing it. When Harry and the two blondes entered they looked up.

'Ah, Lord Potter, you're here at last! Good! Good!' said Ragnuk.

Ann just smiled and said: 'How are you this morning?'

'Nervous,' replied Harry. Ann nodded.

'Did you get out all right last night?' she asked.

'Yeah, we got out fine,' answered Sirius, seeing that Harry was in no mood for small talk. Ann seemed to notice this and decided to drop the subject. They all sat down and for fifteen minutes, Ann reminded Harry what he would need to say. At five-to-one, a knock came at the door and Ann's secretary came in, followed by the two journalists and a photographer.

'Mrs Tonks, Mr Ragnuk and Mr Potter, these are Miss Skeeter and Mr Blackwell of the Daily Prophet, as well as their photographer,' said the secretary, gesturing to the three new people in the room.

Harry looked them over. Rita Skeeter seemed to be in her forties. She was wearing a green skirt and blazer, and had red lipstick, as well as rimmed glasses. Her blonde curls gave the impression of a gossiper. Jacob Blackwell was tall, in his sixties and had thick glasses. Both were looking at Harry in slight astonishment, probably noticing that he no longer had glasses, and that he was not the scrawny boy that the rumours portrayed him to be.

Harry stood up and said: 'We'll do photos first, before sending your photographer off. Yes?'

Mr Blackwell took control: 'Yes, that would be best.'

Twenty minutes later, when the photos were done and the photographer had left, everyone finally settled down. Ann's secretary bought in tea, coffee and desserts. Rita, still smiling at Harry, began the interview: 'So, Mr Potter, what will this interview be about?'

'Well, first of all, Rita, I'd like to inform you that I own majority shares in the Daily Prophet, so here's the deal: articles regarding me must be approved by me or my lawyer first. They cannot have any false facts; which means no speculating on whom I'm dating or that sort of thing, _Witch Weekly _already does enough of that. The Prophet must also check all of its facts, and while I love your articles, Rita, they must be a bit more factual. Given that you're an Animagus, that's kind of hard,' said Harry. Rita's eyebrows shot up at this.

'How did you know?' she asked, in a whispered tone.

'Because I am too. In fact, I have three forms,' Harry said and he stood up and changed into those forms, silencing almost everyone in the room. Harry changed back and added: 'While I won't give you out Rita, I will say that I am registering on the thirtieth of the month.'

Rita nodded. Before she asked anything, Harry said: 'I'd also like to add my sympathy to the muggles who were attacked last night at the World Cup, and I truly hope that no politics, bureaucracy or corruption affects the investigation into those proceedings. Those Death Eaters must be found and _must _be punished.'

Rita nodded and smiled. She wrote the quote in, knowing that that was how she would start the article. She looked up and asked: 'Now that that is over; why have you invited us here?'

This question began the three-hour interview. Both Rita and Jacob were shocked when they discovered just who Harry was Lord of, and that he was emancipated. When the interview was over, Harry said: 'I suggest you go to the Wizengomat session next week, Rita. I'm sure it will be interesting.' Her winked, Rita smiled mischievously.

Mr Blackwell rose and said: 'Thank you Lord Potter for the interview. I believe the second interview will take place the same day as the Wizengomat session, am I correct?'

Harry nodded and said: 'Yes, it will. I'll focus primarily on the criminal exploits of Dumbledore and also on the improvements I'll be making at Hogwarts.'

Rita smiled and said: 'That sounds absolutely delicious, Lord Potter. I'm sure it will make for some juicy conversation.'

'You bet it will,' said Harry, winking at her. The two journalists left and the remaining occupants sighed in relief. 'Thank God that's over,' said Harry.

'You done very well, Harry,' said Ann.

Harry just nodded. He looked over at his two companions and asked: 'What should we do now?'

Sirius shrugged, but Hermione's face was thoughtful. 'I'd like to see my parents,' she said. She looked at Harry and added: 'I haven't seen them in thirteen months, fourteen practically! I've changed so much!'

Harry nodded. 'You can take us there then. Thank you Ann and Ragnuk,' he added to his lawyer and banker. They nodded, smiling. Harry, Sirius and Hermione left the office.

Ragnuk turned to Ann. 'That _did _go rather well,' he said.

Ann nodded. 'I know; it went better than expected,' she said.

* * *

Mr and Mrs Granger were sitting and watching TV at five-thirty in the afternoon. Both dentists had been able to get off work earlier, as patient numbers dwindled. They had decided to spend a relaxing evening at home. That relaxing evening was ruined by the doorbell.

Mr Granger got up. 'Who's at the bloody door?' he asked no one in particular. He went to the door and opened. There stood three adults. He had no clue who they were until the woman said: 'Dad?'

With a shock, Mr Granger suddenly realised who they were; the black-haired young man was Harry Potter, the boy in a number of the photos that Hermione bought from school. Sirius Black was also there, looking nothing like his Wanted poster, instead he looked fresh and crisp; a well-groomed man. Hermione had sent her parents a letter explaining his innocence. The third adult of the small company was his own daughter! She was unrecognisable. It was just a month ago that she had left: all bushy-haired and with large front teeth. Now here she stood; so grown-up, with a well-conditioned body, wavy and curly hair, and her teeth now matched her face.

'Hermione?' he questioned, wonderment filling him.

She beamed, before throwing her arms around her father. 'Dad!' she cried.

Daniel Granger was shocked. He quickly realised, however, that this was his Hermione. She felt bigger, and looked more beautiful and mature, but she was still the same Hermione he knew.

'Hermione!' exclaimed a voice from behind him. He looked around and saw his wife there, rushing towards them with her arms out. She joined their hug, making it three-way, while the other two occupants awkwardly stood there.

Finally, it was Jean Granger who pulled away and said to her daughter: 'You've grown so much! What happened?'

Hermione looked at her mother and decided that the truth was the best option. 'To hell with the lies,' she. Her parents heard her and looked at her, confused.

'What lies?' asked her father suspiciously.

Hermione looked at Harry, knowing that most of the events centred on him. He gave a small nod, which Hermione took as permission, while her parents took it as encouragement.

Turning back to her parents, Hermione said: 'Mum, Dad, we _really _need to talk.' She led them into the living room, where the adults slowly filtered in, a bit shocked at this new version of their daughter.

The Grangers, Harry and Sirius all sat down. Hermione sat between Harry and Sirius, directly facing her parents. She opened her mouth to speak: 'Perhaps I should start with first year...'

An hour later, a fuming Daniel Granger was thinking how to remove his daughter from this blasted school, while Jean Granger just had her mouth gaping at her only daughter.

Finally, Dan Granger stood up and declared: 'You are never going back to that school!' He looked at his daughter, expecting her to comply. She stood up and glared at her father.

'Yes, I _will _go back to that school, yes, I_ will _finish my education at Hogwarts, and yes, I_ will_ become a witch,' she said defiantly. 'What neither of you realise is that many of these creatures still exist out here in the muggle word. Most muggles can't see them, but I can. Wouldn't it be better if I could do magic for things like this?'

'Fine, you'll be a witch, but you are NOT going to Hogwarts,' said Dan Granger. He underestimated his daughter again. Hermione had never been outspoken against adults. She had blindly followed them throughout her entire life. But the encounter with Dumbledore had left her dazed and worried. It had taken her a month to realise that she could not blindly follow people like she had been doing. Some rules were meant to be broken, even if she didn't like breaking them.

'I WILL go to Hogwarts. I am halfway through my education there. Transferring would have a detrimental effect on my grades, as well as the fact that I have_ friends _at Hogwarts,' said Hermione, angry tears appearing.

Dan Granger was not to be disrupted from his path by simple tears. 'Hermione, I _am _your father. Surely you realise just how dangerous this school of yours is! Trolls, basilisks, these Dementor things,' he said.

'Dad, we've already come up with a plan to stop all that madness. Harry here technically owns the school as he's the descendant of all four founders',' Hermione shot back.

Dan Granger raised his eyebrows at this and turned to look at Harry, who nodded confidently. Dan realised that while Harry may have been young, he was certainly confident, self-assured and something about him told Dan that he was also powerful; some sort of aura came off the boy.

'So what are you going to do about the madness?' he asked, realising that questioning would yield far better results than simply assuming his authority.

'We have a few plans. Most of them require a real wait and see approach; especially the ones revolving around Dumbledore and some other questionable teachers. I wonder if this year's Defence professor will be better than the previous ones,' Harry answered.

Dan nodded at this as well. 'Will there be any other dangerous Ministry-induced events or creatures this year?' he asked.

Harry sighed audibly. 'Unfortunately – yes, there will be. There's going to be an ancient tournament that actually has a _death toll _this year. It's only open to those who are of age, though, so Hermione shouldn't be at any risk because of it,' he said.

Dan grumbled a bit about this new danger at the school, but seemed to be pacified somewhat, along with his wife, so the party broke up and went into the parlour. Harry was introduced, as was Mr Binns, Harry's so-called "friend". The Granger parents took an instant likening to Harry. Although they weren't as terrible and proud as the Dursley's, they could still see that what Harry wore was expensive, and as high-class dentists, they could certainly appreciate that.

It was nine o'clock before Harry, Hermione and Sirius (still in disguise) left the Granger family home. They quickly Apparated outside the boundary of Potter Manor. They quickly followed the path, and Tanny greeted them at the door. The three were too exhausted to do much else than sleep. So they all crawled into bed and were quickly asleep.

* * *

**There! Done! Another staggering chapter out of the way! So, what's in the next chapter? Buckingham Palace, of course! Chapter 7 is called... actually, I can't say what it's called, gives far too much away. It's about their tour of Europe and said meeting.**

**The first Wizengomat session is Chapter 7! Chapter 8 is the train ride and a MASSIVE shock! Can't say more! The God of Literature has told me not to spoil anything! You'll have to wait until AFTER the holidays (I'll be taking a short break over New Year's).**

**Please leave your reviews and thoughts,  
SeekerGranger**


	7. Tours and Courts

**_A/N: _****Time for a bunch of meetings! Chapter Seven is up!**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed my previous chapter. I also thank you for pointing out all of the problems. I have gone back and fixed them now. I've decided to search for a Beta to check over things like that.**

**14,291 words. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, it's a LOT, but it was worth staying up till 4am some night just to finish this, so please praise my efforts! Also note that I might not post a chapter next week as this one's SO bloody long! I might or I might not, I still haven't decided.**

**Disclaimer: the majority of the characters and settings in this story are not original; they belong to Her Majesty Joanne Rowling the First. Some characters are however original. Any relation to any person; whether alive or dead, is purely accidental and coincidental, other than where the author states otherwise.**

**Rated T for language. This chapter goes from August 26****th**** to August 31****st****.**

**Please Read and Review.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Tours and Courts**

Amelia Bones looked down at the parchment in front of her. She had received it more than a week ago, and had informed the co-receiver, Augusta Longbottom about it. Both had questioned their respective charges; Neville and Susan, both of whom corroborated that Harry was pretty "special", though both _had _been surprised to find out that he had inherited his titles. Amelia was sure that that shock would eventually pass.

Sitting across from her was Madam Longbottom herself. They were in Amelia's office, drinking tea and eating biscuits. This was the first time that the two of them had managed to meet with each other; both had been too busy before now.

'So – what do you think?' asked Amelia, finally breaking the silence.

'Neville's told me a bit about him; courageous, a bit rash, your typical Gryffindor,' replied Madam Longbottom without emotion, drinking from her cup.

Amelia nodded. 'Susan said something similar,' she said, 'but what do you think he'll want to discuss?'

'Maybe he'll take the Wizengomat seats? Perhaps discuss Hogwarts?' suggested the Dowager, shrugging her shoulders. 'Either way, we'll probably find out soon enough.'

Amelia nodded. 'Moving on, what do you think Dumbledore will do at the first session?' she asked. It was a normal question, typically asked between the two women before the session, because every year, Dumbledore had pulled some sort of trick. Last year, he had attempted to remove the Dementor's, but it had surprisingly been overturned. The year before that he had successfully passed some shocking legislation in relation to muggles. It was shocking because it was in _favour _of muggle-borns, and more than three-quarters of the Wizengomat had voted for it.

'If it's anything to do with Potter, than we might have uproar,' said Dowager Longbottom. What she could not possibly imagine was that there would be uproar anyway.

* * *

Harry himself - at that moment – was getting ready for the beginning of their so-called "tour". He knew he would meet The Queen, The Prince of Edinburgh, The Prince and Princess of Wales, as well as their sons, who would be about Harry's own age. Then there was the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Ministers. He had, of course seen them on muggle television at the Dursley's, but even so, he didn't know a great deal about muggle politics or the Royal Family, which was why Sirius had drilled him for their thirteen months.

Harry looked over at the clock; it read half-seven. Harry decided to go downstairs for breakfast. When he got there, he saw Sirius and Hermione – already dressed – having their own breakfast.

As Harry sat down, Sirius looked at him and asked him: 'Are you nervous?'

'A bit,' Harry admitted.

'Don't worry too much about it,' said Sirius. He looked at a few pieces of parchment on his desk. 'We're taking a portkey to a bank in Central London. The bank's is the muggle version of Gringotts and is operated by them. From there we take a car to Buckingham Palace. Media has been turned away for once and it's all very hush-hush.'

'Thank god,' sighed Harry. Sirius smirked and Hermione smiled.

'Well then, we have about two hours until we have to be at the bank, so in the meantime we can train a bit and then get ready,' said Sirius, looking at his watch. Harry nodded, and after breakfast, the trio did exactly that.

At ten, the trio was ready to depart. They stood in the library, surrounding a small pamphlet that was to be their portkey. At exactly ten-oh-five the book shone blue and they disappeared, arriving at the muggle bank.

Looking around, Harry saw that it was some sort of conference room; a large glass-top conference table stood in the middle, with a dozen black-leather chairs surrounding it. After a few minutes, the door opened and a goblin appeared.

'Ah, Lord Potter, welcome to Prescott's, the muggle branch of our bank,' said Ragnuk.

'Hello, Ragnuk,' said Harry, sitting down in one of the chairs. Sirius, Hermione and Ragnuk all followed his lead and sat down themselves.

'Now then, before we send you off to Her Majesty, I have some papers that I suggest you sign,' said the goblin. He got out a number of pieces of parchment and handed them over to Harry, Sirius and Hermione. 'The papers are to officially place Miss Granger under the protection of one of your Houses, thereby making her your ward, and you her Magical Guardian.'

'Why?' asked Hermione, looking up at the goblin.

'Because at present, Miss Granger, your Magical Guardian is Albus Dumbledore. We believe he may sign you into marriage with someone like Ronald Weasley,' said the goblin.

At this information, Harry said: 'I'll sign it!'

Hermione looked at him. 'You don't have too Harry.'

'Yes I do. He might try to use you,' said Harry, looking at her. She looked into his deep emerald eyes and saw the sincerity in them as well as noticing just how perfect they were. She snapped out of it. He's my best friend! she thought.

'I'll sign them as well,' said Hermione. Ragnuk smiled.

'Excellent!' he exclaimed.

Harry and Hermione looked down at the contracts and signed them, both knowing that it was the best option. As soon as they'd signed the contracts, a blue thread appeared between the two and quickly disappeared.

'Excellent! Magic itself had accepted this change in guardianship! I suggest you don't emancipate her, Lord Potter,' Ragnuk said. Seeing Harry's confusion he answered: 'It's much harder to claim the guardianship of someone who's already under someone else's guardianship, especially a Lord, then it is to claim guardianship of an emancipated minor.'

Harry nodded and, with another idea said: 'As Hogwarts Lord, can I take all muggle-borns under my protection? Hermione's under the Potter House, but the other muggle-borns under Hogwarts House?'

Ragnuk smiled and conjured up another dozen forms. 'You'll have to sign them all, and we'll then send off a letter to every single muggle-born out there explaining the situation,' he said.

Harry nodded and quickly signed the letter.

'Now then, it is time for you to depart in the car. It is waiting downstairs for you three,' said Ragnuk. He quickly got up and disappeared, while Sirius got up and began to cast Glamours on himself.

Hermione looked at Harry. 'Thank you, Harry.'

'No problem. I'd rather you were part of Potter House than under Dumbledore's care,' he replied, smiling.

Sirius looked at the two of them. 'As Lord of a House, Harry, you can request your own set of quarter's, especially as Lord of Hogwarts. As such, you can invite anyone into those sets of quarters, claiming them under your protection. What's more, Dumbledore can't do a thing about it,' he said.

Harry smiled. 'I'll take that offer up.'

The trio headed towards the lifts and, two minutes later, were in the luxurious Bentley, headed towards the Mall.

* * *

Whilst this was happening, one Albus Dumbledore was entering Gringotts to do exactly what had been avoided. With him was Molly Weasley. This was his first task. As Magical guardian for Granger, he could bind her to Ronald Prewett. He walked up to the counter. The goblin looked up and smirked.

'Yes?' he questioned.

'I'd like to set up a magical marriage contract,' he said happily.

The goblin's own smirk widened. He called over a goblin and, five minutes later, they were in a small office with a grumpy looking goblin.

'I would like to form a magically-binding contract between Hermione Jean Granger – a muggle-born under my care – and Ronald Prewett,' he said pompously.

The grumpy goblin conjured some papers and suddenly smiled, before laughing. He laughed for a minute, while Dumbledore grew more and more pissed off. Molly Weasley started fuming a bit and she cleared her throat. The goblin stopped laughing and looked at them, smiling.

'I'm afraid Mr. Dumbledore, that you have no right to form contracts for Miss Granger,' said the goblin.

'No right, _no right! _I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and, under law, I am the magical guardian for all muggle-born students at Hogwarts,' screamed Dumbledore.

'Not unless they're taken up by an Ancient and Most Noble House,' said the goblin, grinning further.

Dumbledore stopped short at this. _No, surely not, _he thought.

'It seems that Lord Potter has taken Miss Granger, as well as _all _muggle-borns under his own care,' said the goblin.

Those who were in the Hall of Gringotts suddenly heard a furious scream of rage, before a massive slamming of doors as an angry Albus Dumbledore stormed out of the bank, quickly followed by a fuming Molly Weasley.

_He's been two steps ahead of me every time, _thought Dumbledore. Another plan was already forming. Potter might be at the Wizengomat session, but, as Chief Warlock, Dumbledore had ultimate power over who was there. _I'll get him there, _he thought.

How very wrong he was.

* * *

Buckingham Palace is one of the most recognisable palaces in the world. Originally built in the eighteenth century, it has always served as the official home of the Monarch of the Commonwealth. The primary residence of the Queen, it has three stories and is luxurious. The Queen spends every weekday there, whilst spending the weekend at Windsor Castle, some thirty miles west of London. The Queen spends her summer holiday at Balmoral Castle, while spending two weeks at Christmas at another residence.

The Bentley that was carrying the trio of guests passed through the front gates, before going into the central courtyard. The Queen herself had only returned to the Palace a few days ago, partially because of this very important visit.

Walking through the Palace, the trio were escorted down luxury corridors, and well away from the prying eyes of the public. They were ushered into what seemed to be a sitting room. Two luxury couches sat facing each other; a small table in between the two. Another table stood off to the side. Sirius and Hermione sat down on one of the couches, while Harry sat down on one of the two armchairs.

They waited for five minutes before a herald came through the door: 'Presenting Her Majesty, Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, Duchess of Edinburgh. Also presenting His Royal Highness, Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh and His Royal Highness Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales.'

Through the door came the Queen, her husband and eldest son. Harry, Hermione and Sirius stood and bowed to the Queen.

'Your Majesty,' said Harry, 'allow me to present Miss Hermione Granger, my good friend and Lord Black, my godfather.' Sirius took off his Glamour and some of the attendees gasped. The Queen smiled.

'Yes, the goblins explained the circumstances to me, my family and the Cabinet. But I would especially like to hear what has transpired in the Wizarding World and about yourself Prince Harry,' she said.

'Prince Harry?' questioned Harry, surprised.

'Yes, as a member of the Royal Family, I must procure you as a Prince. As the most Royal of Wizards, you also represent me at the Wizengomat, and are the most senior member, even above Chief Warlock. You can even set rules and appoint Chief Warlocks,' she said.

'I see we have much to discuss, Your Majesty,' said Harry.

'It seems so, Your Highness,' said the Queen, smiling. She took the second armchair, while Prince Phillip and Prince Charles sat on the couch. For the next half-an-hour, Harry told the three Royals about himself, and a bit about the Wizarding World. He had decided that he would tell her more about the bigotry and problems of the wizarding world during the Cabinet meeting.

At eleven-thirty, Prince Phillip and Prince Charles left, while Hermione was escorted to go meet the young princes. The Queen led Harry and Sirius to a small meeting room, where they were introduced to the Prime Minister.

'The Prime Minister of Great Britain, John Major,' announced the herald. For the next hour, the four of them discussed the overlaying issues between the two worlds. The Prime Minister didn't necessarily need to know too much about the wizarding world, only that which affected the muggle world. The revelation that there were a number of muggles who knew about the wizarding world through their children was surprising to the PM.

'One last thing, Prime Minister, I may be able to get a wizard to join your protection detail,' said Harry.

'Why would that be required?' asked the PM.

'To protect from magical attacks,' stated Harry. He turned to the Queen: 'You will certainly need someone, Your Majesty.' She nodded.

'What about that Statute of Secrecy thing?' asked the PM.

'Some leeway is allowed. Your service works under the Official State Secrets Act, does it not?' said Harry.

'Very well, I'll accept the proposition,' said the PM.

'Very good. Now then, I believe it is lunchtime. For this purpose, Harry, please call me Elizabeth. The lunch is more informal,' said the Queen.

They followed her through the palace, before coming to a large sitting room, where they found the other Royals. Standing near the windows were Prince Phillip and Prince Charles, drinking whiskey and discussing something. Sitting on the floor near the fireplace were twelve-year-old Prince William and ten-year-old Prince Henry (Harry) of Wales. Sitting on one of the couches was Hermione, who was talking to Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales.

'Her Majesty, the Queen and her guests: John Major, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Lord Harry Potter, Prince of the Realm and Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter, Peverell and numerous others and finally Lord Sirius Black, Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black,' announced the herald.

Harry shook hands with those he had already met and also shook hands with the two princes, before meeting with the Princess of Wales. The party proceeded into the dining room, where they spent the next hour discussing both the muggle and wizarding world. Most of the party was amazed to see magic being performed. It seemed that only the Queen, the Prince of Edinburgh and their son weren't surprised.

'We have seen quite a bit of magic before,' explained the Queen. 'There are a number of tribes that practise magic in the Commonwealth, and We have even been invited to see some magical schools in Canada, America, Australia and France.'

'Perhaps you should visit Hogwarts, when it is a more comfortable and safe environment, of course?' suggested Harry.

'I would like that Lord Potter. I dare say that William and Henry would _especially _like that, though they may get a tad jealous,' replied the Queen.

Harry nodded and continued to eat their amazing food. At one-thirty, most of the royals scampered off, while Harry, Hermione and Sirius were led by the Queen and the Prime Minister to another room, this one a conference room. The three were introduced to various ministers, including the Defence Minister, the Home Secretary, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and Foreign Minister.

'For the purpose of government running, Wizarding Britain is considered as a foreign, friendly state, which is under the Crown's rule, and which is the only other country other than Britain itself which had its citizens as subjects to the Crown,' explained the Prime Minister.

For the next hour-and-a-half, the three magical humans told the others about the bigotry and hate in the wizarding world. The faces of the ministers and the Queen grew more and more sombre and grave as they went on. They soon began to draw up their own plans on what was to occur in the wizarding world.

'We'll have to take the Ministry back and set it back up. Voldermort will return and we'll have to be ready for that,' said Harry.

'Won't these "purebloods" start shouting abuse?' asked the Queen.

'Yes, they will, but the Wizengomat Chamber is magical and can be sealed by the most senior person, in this case me. It also holds to the rules that I create for it,' explained Harry. The others nodded.

At three o'clock, the three guests said goodbye to the Queen and the Cabinet and drove to Heathrow Airport. At four-thirty, they flew to Cairo, which is just tow hour ahead of them. The flight is only four hours, and so they arrived in Cairo at ten-thirty. At midnight, the three of them finally went to bed at the luxury hotel.

Said luxury hotel is actually one of hundreds in the chain. This chain of hotels is owned outright by the Potter's and brings in billions of pounds of revenue a year. Every hotel has a special room which is specifically for the owners. It is usually rented out, but the owner can simply show up and claim the room. Thankfully, no one was displaced, as Sirius had called ahead to inform the hotel staff. The only check-in required was Harry's Potter ring, which was immediately accepted and his photo was sent to every other hotel around the world, essentially telling them who their new owner was.

At nine o'clock the following morning, the trio woke up and, after showering and having breakfast, were driven to the Presidential Palace. The meeting with the President of Egypt was anti-climatic and surprisingly boring. At one o'clock they lefty and headed to the Department of Magic in central Cairo.

The Egyptian Department of Magic is different from its British counter-part in that is has a Department of Ancient Magic. This large office makes up a large number of workers, who all study the pyramids and treasures of the Pharaohs. Harry, Sirius and Hermione received a very quick tour of this department, as most of what was being studied actually belonged to Harry.

Harry officially signed a contract which allowed the Department of study these treasures and to put them in their own museum. Hermione wanted to visit the magic museum, but was denied this right. The three of them met with the Magical Secretary of Egypt and with the Head of the Magical Assembly of Egypt. Harry decided to not appoint any proxy for his seat, as he had no idea who to turn too.

What the three of them discovered was that Wizarding Egypt was rather conservative in relation to muggles. They accepted them and allowed them more equality than Britain, but the muggle-borns were still considered second-class.

A short flight to Venice was next, and Harry, Sirius and Hermione were welcomed by house-elves into the Addario Mansion. It was large and luxurious, and they were quickly asleep.

This was the routine for the three of them for the next few days. They met with the President and Prime Minister of Italy, with the Pope and the Magical Head of State. Hermione was extremely excited by reserved when meeting with the Pope, who told them about the Vatican's own magic and magical studies and archives.

On Monday, the trio took a portkey to Berlin, where they met with the German Chancellor. They did not meet with any magical government official, as the Friedmann's had no political power in Wizarding Germany.

After the meeting with the Chancellor of Germany, the trio portkeyed to Gringotts Zurich At the bank, they took a luxury car to another bank. There they met with a few members of the International Bank Forum. They also had the honour of meeting the Chairman of the Gringotts Council of Elders, who is the highest goblin in the world, and heads Gringotts International Wizarding Bank. They proceeded to meet even more members of the International Bank Forum and had a quick lunch.

At four o'clock, the trio took another portkey; this time to Paris, where they met the Head of the French Magical Parliament and the French Minister for Magic. They enjoyed talking with them in French. It seemed that Sirius' language tutoring had helped them significantly. At five-thirty, they took another car to the President of France's official residence.

They arrived there by six-fifteen, and at six-thirty they met with the President of France and his wife. At seven, they had dinner with the Head of State and at eight-thirty, the trio headed to Charles de Gaulle Airport, where they found a surprise.

'There you are!' said a familiar voice. They turned around and found Ann Tonks standing there. She was wearing expensive clothing and had obviously been shopping in Paris. 'Follow me,' she said, and beckoned them after her.

She took them through the main terminal, before going into a much smaller and quieter terminal. She proceeded to take them through various corridors and hallways, before arriving at the exit to the tarmac.

'Ragnuk forgot to mention this, Harry,' she began, turning to face them, 'but you have your own private plane.'

Harry's eyebrows shot up. 'My own plane?' he asked, shocked.

Ann nodded: 'Yes, your own plane. There' also a luxury yacht somewhere and also 4 Privet Drive and a few firms which could provide you with entertainment,' she said, smiling mischievously. 'Your uncle was also bought back on to his job at Grunnings.'

Harry also smiled, knowing exactly why she had told him this information. 'Can you fit me in for a meeting at four-thirty tomorrow?' She smiled and nodded.

They proceeded onto the tarmac, where they saw the Potter Enterprises crest on a plane. The two-engine Gulfstream was quickly cleared for take-off, and was soon in the air, while its four passengers relaxed in the luxury seats. The pilots had already come out and talked with him. Both were in their late forties, and had told him that they had worked for his grandfather and knew about magic.

'Now then, Harry,' began Ann, 'in three days time, you're off, back to Hogwarts. Because you've claimed everything, you need to actually help to the wheels, as all of the businesses you own need some sort of instructions. Unfortunately, it's far too much work to do at Hogwarts-'

'Sirius,' said Harry, interrupting Ann. She smiled.

'I thought you'd say that, so here, sign this, but use a proper signature, one which will be useful and won't change,' she said.

Harry spent the rest of the flight coming up with a business signature, while Ann told him how he'd have to sign important documents every few days and send them back to Sirius. Harry signed the papers which declared Sirius as his official representative.

They landed at Heathrow at ten-thirty and were asleep at a hotel in London by midnight, knowing full well that the following day would be hectic.

* * *

It was.

They woke up at nine-thirty and quickly got dressed and showered. At ten-fifteen, a knock came at the door. Sirius opened it and took a letter from the valet. He came back and handed the letter – which was sealed with the Queen's seal – to Harry. Harry took it out, opened it, and read:

**_Royal Decree_**

**_Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second_**

_I, Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth, do hereby bestow upon Harry James Potter, the honour of Prince of the Realm and that of the Dukedom of Hogsmeade. I also decree that Duke Potter is to take my place upon the Royal Chair of the Wizengomat of Wizarding Britain, and give him full rights to act and change the laws and regulations of Wizarding Britain to accord with that of the Queen's Laws and with that of the Ancient Laws._

_By this decree, I declare Harry James Potter as Prince Harry, Duke of Hogsmeade, Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble Houses of Potter and Peverell, Lord of the Ancient and Most Exceptional House of Merlin, Lord of the Most Esteemed Houses of Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Hogwarts, Heir of the Founder's, Lord of the Foreign Houses of Le Chanell, Abubakar, Addario and Friedmann, and Chief Royal Wizard of Britain and the Commonwealth._

_Signed,_

_ER_

'Well then, there's your full new title,' said Sirius.

'Duke of Hogsmeade, though?' said Hermione.

'Harry practically owns Hogsmeade anyway,' said Sirius. Harry took this new information with him as well.

The three of them took a quick portkey to Gringotts, where they spent two hours talking with some of the members of the Gringotts Council of Elders. Harry named Ragnuk as his proxy on the Council, which the rest seemed to accept.

At one-thirty, Harry, Hermione and Sirius (all in Glamour charms) left Gringotts and headed for the Leaky Cauldron. They asked for a private room, and told Tom to send Amelia Bones and Augusta Longbottom their way. In the private booth, Harry and Hermione took off their Glamour charms, while Sirius kept his own.

At two o'clock, there was a knock on the door, and Madam Bones - proxy to the two seats on the Wizengomat for the Ancient and Most Noble House of Bones, as appointed by her niece, Susan Bones, after the death of Susan's father – and Dowager Longbottom – proxy to the seat on the Wizengomat for the Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom, as appointed by her grandson, Neville Longbottom, after the torture of Neville's parents – came in.

'Mr Potter,' said Dowager Longbottom, holding out her hand. Harry took it.

'It's actually Duke Potter or Prince Harry, Dowager Longbottom,' said Harry, shaking her hand. The two women's eyes widened. 'But you can call me Harry.'

'Augusta, then. I would be very interested to see what you'll do,' said the Dowager Countess.

'Amelia,' said Madam Bones, holding out her hand. Harry shook it and waved them to the table.

'I would like to inform both of you, as perhaps "allies" to the House Potter of my intentions for tomorrow's Wizengomat session,' said Harry, beginning the discussion.

'How large are your intentions?' asked Augusta.

'Revolutionary,' said Harry, looking directly at Augusta.

She looked back in surprise, and Harry took the opportunity to begin their discussion. They were slightly shocked at the number of titles that he held, given that it was an entire voting bloc in itself. They were surprised to find out about some of the old laws that allowed Harry to take the head of Wizengomat seat. Both jumped up at Sirius' appearance, but were quickly pacified, though Madam Bones was angry at the miscarriage of justice.

When they got around to talking about Harry's three years at Hogwarts, both witches were angry.

'Susan only heard rumours, and I refused to believe them! But the fact that it's happening is maddening! The DMLE can't even investigate anything because Fudge shuts it down as Hogwarts is_ "a separate institution",'_ said Amelia.

'Neville said something of this as well! How can Fudge and Dumbledore refuse access!' said Augusta.

'Well, as Lord Hogwarts, you can begin investigations into Hogwarts, though make it discreet. Closer to June, you can begin an investigation into Dumbledore. I think we'll need him for the Tri-Wiz thing,' said Harry happily. The two witches nodded, unhappy at this prospect.

Harry launched back into their discussion, and of what he was planning for the following day. It would rock the very base and structure of the wizarding world. At the end of it, Amelia and Augusta looked thoughtful.

'That is a lot of investigations, but the Auror funding would be helpful,' said Amelia, leaning back in her chair. She looked at Sirius: 'What do you think Sirius? Want to come back and work for the Ministry?' she asked, knowing full well the answer.

'Sorry Amelia, but I've already got a massive job representing this young Lord over here,' Sirius replied, gesturing at Harry. Amelia smiled.

''Restructuring the Board of Governors will be a step in the right direction,' said Augusta.

'Especially getting rid of Malfoy?' said Harry. Augusta nodded.

Harry turned to look at Amelia. 'Will Aurors be there tomorrow?' he asked.

'Yes, I think he'll be able to find a new home,' replied Amelia, smiling slightly. 'Maybe Susan will get an E?'

Harry, Hermione and Sirius bid the two witches farewell, before using a portkey to land in the middle of Prescott's. Harry saw that it was six-thirty.

'Oh well, at least we'll make more of an impression,' said Harry, grinning mischievously at Hermione.

'They might die of heart attack,' she pointed out, smiling herself.

'Would serve them right,' grumbled Sirius. The three of them headed out towards the exit, where they piled into the luxury Bentley.

'Riding in style is always a good idea,' said Sirius.

'Dad says that a man measures the worth of another man by their car,' said Hermione, shrugging her shoulders.

'Well apparently, I'm worth quite a bit. I think the plane would be of more help here, though,' Harry said cheekily. He earned a slap around the head from Hermione.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore was nervous, but otherwise, in a good mood. Tomorrow was the first Wizengomat session after the summer break. All of the necessary players were in play, and there should be no spot of trouble. The Potter brat probably wouldn't show his face, he was, after all, quite a timid boy, so Dumbledore didn't have to worry about him at all. Even if he _dared _to appear, then Dumbledore would kick him out.

He would also use the Wizengomat to appoint himself as magical guardian over Potter, thus insuring he was magical guardian over all muggle-borns. He would write up those two very important marriage contracts and force Potter and the mudblood to wed the Weasleys.

Another worrying thought was the Tournament. Thankfully, in two days time, Potter would be here in Hogwarts again. He would be under _his, _Dumbledore's control and under the weight of the Tournament. The only black spot that was there was if Potter refused to participate, forsaking his own magic for the Greater Good. Then everything would be screwed. _Best not think of that, _he thought to himself.

He groaned as he noticed the large amount of parchment-work that he was required to do. There was a letter somewhere scheduling the meeting of the Board of Governor's for the night of September second. It would be a tiring day.

* * *

Number Four, Privet Drive was, at this time, full of laughter as one Vernon Dursley bantered about with his boss – who he secretly loathed – and their respective wives. Mr Andrews was a forty-something handsome man and was the Director of Grunnings. He was, at this moment, nervous. He had received orders from the owner of the bloody company to either take Mr Dursley into a conference room or invite himself to a dinner party at the Dursley's.

He had hated every minute of the place.

It was a typical, suburban home in Surrey. So typical in fact, that it was plain _boring. _It resembled every other such suburban home, with the only difference being the choice of furniture, the people in the photos, and the tiles in the bathroom. The house was essentially a cardboard box, and made Mr Andrews and Mrs Andrews feel like they were in some dystopia.

Suddenly, Mr Dursley tensed, as he saw a very expensive Bentley pull up in front of the house. He looked back at his guests and decided that the Bentley was more important. Given that two other cars flanked it, it was hard to argue.

Mr Dursley stood up and led his small congregation to the door. He opened it wide and put on his best smile. Inside, he was slightly nervous, as he saw half-a-dozen security people come out of the three cars. Whoever was visiting must have been extremely important, and so he was.

A raven-haired young man got out of the central car. At first, Vernon Dursley had no idea who the man was, but soon recognised the young man as his own nephew, though this Harry Potter seemed to have matured much more. He had filled out and grown taller. He was no longer the scrawny skinny boy Vernon had beaten bloody six weeks ago. This was a young, strong man who calmly walked up to the Dursley's house.

'YOU! HOW DARE YOU COME HERE BOY!' Vernon Dursley seemed to have found his voice. Some of the neighbours looked up, but Vernon didn't notice.

The only thing that Harry did which showed that he had heard was to frown slightly, as if something was amiss, something that he didn't know. Harry walked over to Mr Andrews.

'Mr Andrews, it's lovely to meet you and your wife,' he said, holding out his hand. Mr Andrews immediately saw the Potter ring and knew who this was. He took and shook his bosses hand, rather nervously.

'Lord Potter,' began Mr Andrews.

'It's actually Duke Potter, but that is neither here nor there,' replied Harry. He could feel the immediate rage build in his uncle.

'HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO YOUR SENIORS IN THAT-' he was cut off by Harry turning around.

'Silence, Dursley,' said Harry, pushing some magic out with the words.

'Now then, Dursley, you are pathetic and a bully, which is why, as the owner of Grunnings, I am firing you. Also, as owner of the house behind me, I am evicting you. You have until September thirty-first to leave the house. I think that's plenty of time,' said Harry, smiling evilly.

Vernon gaped at Harry, before opening and closing his mouth a few times. Harry ignored this and turned back to Mr Andrews.

'It was a pleasure meeting you Mr Andrews,' said Harry. He looked back at his aunt and cousin and smiled at them, before turning around and walking slowly back to the car. 'Enjoy your life, uncle!' he called out.

The cars departed, and so did the Andrews, leaving behind an enraged Vernon Dursley, pissed-off Petunia Dursley, confused Dudley Dursley and laughing neighbours.

* * *

August thirty-first began what promised to be ten days of typical autumn weather: pouring rain. Harry, Hermione and Sirius were getting ready for the Wizengomat session in their luxury suite in the Potter hotel in London. Harry was in his wizarding robes, and would quickly change before entering the Chamber.

Hermione was also wearing robes, and would serve as Harry's personal aide. Personal aides were rare for Wizengomat members, but as Harry's position was above even the Chief Warlock, he was eligible to have one. Such aides usually sat behind their bosses and passed along notes. When Harry was informed of this, he had immediately turned to Hermione, who had quickly agreed.

Harry and Hermione had already had the second interview with Rita Skeeter, an interview which had finished early. By the end of said interview, Rita Skeeter had been absolutely gleeful, and had sworn to herself that she would investigate and would happily write a book on the manipulator Dumbledore. She would even donate some money to charity. She didn't know why she had the urge to do that, but she did.

Sirius, meanwhile, had made himself look scruffy and unhygienic. He was to hide under an invisibility cloak in the public gallery, until it came time for him to reveal himself. The three had already agreed to the plan and were now getting ready to depart.

A portkey and a short time later, the three found themselves in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic. They went to the security desk, where the bored guard was checking wands.

'Please check in wands, state name and purpose of visit,' said the wizard.

'Lord Potter, to claim my seat, and under the laws of the ministry I am not required to hand in my wand,' said Harry in a superior tone. Sirius had coached him through various tones of voices, to make him seem important and so that no one would question his rights and authority. It worked, because the guard looked up. His face showed fear at the power that this Lord held and amazement that Harry Potter had claimed his seat.

'Hermione Granger, personal aide to Lord Potter,' said Hermione in an important tone. She, too, had taken part in the lessons.

The guard nodded. 'You can proceed,' he whispered in fear.

Harry, Hermione and the invisible Sirius headed towards the lifts, leaving a stunned guard behind. The three of them quickly reached the court rooms below and headed in the direction of the Main Wizengomat Chamber. Sirius left the two youngsters at the door, headed off towards the entrance to the public gallery.

Due to the notice-me-not charms that they had placed earlier, the Wizengomat members were all ushered in to the Chamber, with no one giving the two of them a look. Dumbledore sat on the tallest podium, while on either side of him extended a shorter podium. On his right sat the Court Scribe, who was responsible for all recordings of the session and all readings of official documents. On Dumbledore's left were two seats, filled by the Minister for Magic; Cornelius Fudge and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Amelia Bones. She smiled knowingly when she saw the two charmed people enter the courtroom. Her musing was interrupted by the Minister.

'The Wizengomat may put pressure on the Black case, Amelia. Your aurors need to find him,' he said roughly. He had been going on about Sirius Black since Black's escape from Hogwarts in June. What Amelia really wanted and what Britain actually _needed _was more funding for the Auror Office, which had fallen to record lows of understaffing. Scrimgeour was pushing Amelia every few weeks. _Maybe I should get Alastor back, _she mused. No, that would not do. Alastor was best at training them, not allocating funds.

Dumbledore waited a few minutes for the chatter and murmuring to die down, before banging his gavel. He had used a new gavel every year, as it was tradition. This was his forty-third gavel, signifying his forty-third year as Chief Warlock of the Wizengomat.

'Let the first meeting of the four-hundred and seventy-sixth session of Wizengomat begin,' he began his little speech happily. 'As is tradition, let us welcome our newest members and let them take their oaths. Who wishes to take their oath and their seat?' he called out. These words began the spiral of uplift for Harry.

Harry stepped forward and called, in a regal voice: 'I do!'

Dumbledore was unable to place the voice of the person; in fact he couldn't even properly see who this new member was. 'I see. Which seat do you claim, and please kindly remove your notice-me-not charms,' he said.

Harry complied, and some of the laughter immediately died off, as the entire Wizengomat and public gallery took in the Boy-Who-Lived. Those who saw him in photos or had seen him in the past few months were openly gaping at this new, mature and _hot _Boy-Who-Lived. Dumbledore's mouth was open, while Harry noticed that Dowager Longbottom and Madam Bones were smirking. Beside Bones, the Minister was also gaping. Harry also noticed a feral grin on one of the reporters faces. He turned and saw that it was Rita Skeeter, who was furiously scribbling everything down. Harry had already warned her to bring a few notebooks to this session and it seemed that she had complied.

Dumbledore immediately sought to intervene: 'Mr Potter, you cannot take upon the seat, as you are not the Head of your House.' He gave his –twinkly-eyes-and-grandfatherly-smile face.

'Actually, I can, Chief Warlock,' Harry held up his hand, where the few rings he had sat. Dumbledore's smile faltered. Harry addressed the rest of the silent crowd: 'I am here to claim my rightful seats on behalf of the Houses of Potter, Peverell, _Merlin, _Le Chanell and Friedmann. The Wizengomat should also note that I am also the Head of Houses Abubakar and Addario.' As Harry pronounced this, the rings on his finger changed to match.

A toad-like woman in the front bench said: 'You cannot be Potter! You are only a half-blood!'

'Actually, my mother was a direct descendant of Merlin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Le Chanell and Friedmann,' said Harry. The Wizengomat was further stumped. The toad-like bitch (**not a typo) **was fuming.

'Harry, you cannot be serious,' smiled Fudge kindly.

Harry smiled right back, before heading to the Court Scribe. As he was walking he said: 'My traitor of a godfather sent a letter to me in the holidays, making fun of me and how he was free. He also stated another thing, which the Court Scribe may now read.' He handed the faked letter to the Scribe. Sirius had come up with the idea last night and had written the letter. The Scribe took the letter and read it to the Wizengomat:

_I, Sirius Orion Black, Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, do hereby proclaim my godson, Harry James Potter, as my proxy to the seat of the House of Black in the Wizengomat._

_By this action, I remove the unlawful proxy, Lucius Malfoy from the Black seat. I also declare Harry James Potter my Heir, thereby making him Heir to the Ancient and Noble House of Black._

_Signed,_

_Sirius Orion Black_

A clamour of voices suddenly shouted at this letter.

'He cannot do that! He was disowned and my son is the rightful heir!' screamed Lucius Malfoy.

'Black's got no right! He was imprisoned, thereby removing him as Head of House!' shouted an apoplectic Fudge.

Dumbledore banged for a minute, as everyone was silenced. He turned to look at the Court Scribe.

'The letter is in order and real,' she said. Fudge began shouting, this time Malfoy was saying the same points as Fudge.

'Silence!' shouted Harry. Malfoy and Fudge stopped screaming and looked at Harry. Harry turned to look at Fudge. 'Lord Black may have been imprisoned Minister, but the problem is that he was never _convicted._' The crowd gasped at this. 'He was never properly sentenced, and never given a trial. He wasn't even charged with anything! By the Wizengomat's own laws he was never declared guilty, and therefore none of the penalties applied! He was simply put in Azkaban and that's it!'

Fudge looked unhappy about this, but Malfoy was still fuming. He opened his mouth to scream more abuse, but was interrupted by the Court Scribe: 'The magic of this room had accepted Lord Potter as proxy _and _heir to the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black.' Malfoy fumed at this, but managed to rein in his anger. Hermione chose this moment to remove her own charms, and a fair number of people noticed, including Dumbledore.

'Er, Miss Granger, unless you are a member or employee of the Wizengomat, then you have no business to be down on the Chamber floor,' he said, smiling slightly. Hermione smiled right back and didn't move a bit.

Harry also smiled and took this opportunity to surprise the Wizengomat further. 'I also declare my status as Head of the Houses of Gryffindor – through my mother and father -, Ravenclaw – through my mother -, Hufflepuff – through my father – and Slytherin – through my father and by Right of Conquest!' The Wizengomat once again screamed outrage at this. Dumbledore paled significantly, while Fudge, Malfoy and the toad-like woman looked furious. Rita, Amelia and Augusta were smiling.

'How dare you!' screamed the toad-like woman,' you half-blood declare yourself Slytherin's heir by _conquest!'_

'Madam Umbridge, control yourself,' said Dumbledore.

Harry laughed, and the crowd looked at him. 'I am Slytherin's Heir, and believe it or not, the Sorting Hat considered placing me there. I refused because I had met an obvious Slytherin; I believe he is the Heir to the Malfoy fortune and _was _the Heir to the Black fortune. Oops!' he said. 'As for Slytherin, I bet his other heir by Right of Conquest when I was one year old. Thomas Marvalo Riddle tried to kill me after killing my parents!'

The silence that settled was deafening. It was broken when Harry laughed. 'Oh, come on! You didn't really think that Voldermort's name was actually Lord Voldermort?' he asked. The Wizengomat looked at him in fear as he said the name.

'Now then, as Lord of all four Hogwarts Houses, I can claim Lordship of Hogwarts itself,' said Harry, taking off his glasses and Vanishing them. The Wizengomat looked on at him in awe as he simply looked about without his glasses. Harry looked up at Dumbledore and smiled. The smile unnerved Dumbledore significantly.

'One more claim, Court Scribe,' said Harry, handing the final scroll over. The Court Scribe's eyes widened in astonishment, as she recognised the seal on the scroll. She had never handled the seal personally, but she had been warned about the Monarch's scroll itself. She decided to check that it was real before reading it.

'The scroll is real and not forged,' she declared in a shaky voice, before unrolling the scroll and reading it:

**_By Royal Decree,_**

_I, Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth by The Grace of God, do hereby decree that my rightful seat, the Royal Seat of the Wizengomat is to be taken by one of my own kin; Prince Harry, Duke of Hogsmeade, Lord Potter-Merlin-Peverell-Hogwarts-Le Chanell-Friedmann-Abubakar-Addario._

_By the Ancient Laws, Wizarding Britain is subject to __**Us**__, for We are it's Head of State, and therefore the Wizengomat is subject to __**Us. **__This is in direct accordance with the Charter of the Ministry, created in 1456. By this treaty, the Wizengomat serves the Monarch of the time, with a Royal Wizard heading the Wizengomat, whilst the Chief Warlock sits in for them._

_Wizarding Britain has NOT followed the Ancient Laws or this Treaty and therefore, We declare Duke Potter as the Royal Wizard. I give him the power to call for any votes on any topics. He is given the power to arrest and apprehend any witch or wizard. He is also given the power to relieve any government official of their responsibility._

_Duke Potter is also given the right to declare any law null and void IF they are in direct contrast to the laws of Muggle Britain or the Ancient Laws. He is also given the right to appoint any government official IF it passes the Wizengomat. He can form or dissolve any Department with approval from the Wizengomat._

_As Royal Wizard, he may relay any news and tidings to myself or my Heir, in relation to the Wizarding World, or he may appoint such a figure. A necessary duty is to form a Department that will focus specifically on relations between Wizarding government and services and Muggle Government and Services._

_Signed on this day, Friday, August twenty-sixth,_

_Signed,  
Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of the Magical Realm of Britain,  
Prince Harry, Duke of Hogsmeade_

_Witnessed by,  
Hermione Jean Granger, Heir to the Elder House of McGonagall  
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales,  
Prince Phillip, Prince of Edinburgh,  
John Major, Prime Minister of Great Britain_

Utter silence reigned as everyone processed this news. The fact that the Queen had stepped in was unheard of. Fudge looked pale, scared of the thought of what could happen. Malfoy and Umbridge looked furious, as did some other pure-blood supremacists. Madam Bones and Dowager Longbottom could barely contain their glee. The Court Scribe looked pale as well, but she was more scared of the retaliation against _her_, from the supremacists. Dumbledore just looked shocked.

'How can the Muggle Queen control us? She's just a muggle!' shouted Umbridge in outrage. A dozen or so members shouted their approval of this tirade. Dumbledore banged his gavel.

'The Queen _is _the Head of State for Magical Britain, and, unlike our muggle counter-parts, she actually _does _have a large control over the Ministry,' he said in a tired voice. He looked at a smiling Harry. 'As the Queen had commanded it, we must follow it.' Dumbledore bowed to Harry, before stepping down and sitting in a conjured chair beside the Court Scribe.

Harry climbed the rails and sat in the throne on the dais of the Wizengomat. The view from here was completely different, more powerful, in a sense. He looked around and saw that everyone was looking at him. He heard Hermione sit down behind him. She handed him some notes and he took them. Opening the notes, he pretended to read before turning around and looking at the Wizengomat. All were silent and looking at him, _waiting for him_.

'Very well, as Royal Wizard, I hereby remove Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore from the position of Chief Warlock of the Wizengomat,' said Harry. There were some shouts of abuse at this, but Harry banged the gavel and they were silenced.

Harry's expression turned dark and serious. 'Aurors enter!' he called. Two dozen aurors entered and stood on the far side of the wall, with two carrying a hooded prisoner. A few people looked around nervously. 'SEAL THE CHAMBER!' roared Harry. The doors of the Chamber and the public gallery shut and magically locked themselves. It was an ancient piece of magic for the Chamber. The Head of the Wizengomat could shut the session for any number of reasons.

'First, I appoint the Dowager Countess Longbottom as Chief Warlock of the Wizengomat. Those in favour and those opposed?' The Wizengomat voted. Thanks to Harry's additional nineteen seats the vote turned in favour 48-33. 'Madam Longbottom is the new Chief Warlock. Please come forth and take your oath,' said Harry. She did just that, and sat beside the Court Scribe. Harry took a minute to organise his thoughts before he began.

'Now then, we will hold a quick trial, under Veritaserum,' Harry said. A few people looked around uneasily. 'Bring forth the prisoner!' Harry said. _I'm having way too much fun, _he thought. Two aurors bought forth a prisoner and chained him to the chair in the middle of the floor, before taking the hood off, and revealing Hogwarts very own Severus Snape.

Dumbledore immediately jumped to his feet. 'I have vouched for Severus Snape! He was a spy!' he said.

'We shall find out, Lord Dumbledore. Not everyone is quite as smitten with him as you,' said Harry. 'Wizengomat Chamber, I hereby order you to banish the magic of all, other than the law-enforcers from this Chamber. This will render everyone, other than the Aurors, unable to use magic in this Chamber,' explained Harry. A fair few looked unhappy at this announcement. Harry turned to look at Snape. The Potions Master looked up at Harry with cold fury.

'Veritaserum!' called Harry. An auror practically shoved it down his throat. Harry heard Dumbledore mutter some protests about "getting approval of the while Wizengomat". 'Not needed, Lord Dumbledore. In a criminal investigation against the Crown, Veritaserum may be applied at trial without such approval.'

'Now then, please state your name,' began Harry.

'Severus Snape'

'Residence?'

'Spinner's End'

'Age?'

'Thirty-four'

'Occupation?'

'Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'

'Very good, now then, were you a Death Eater?'

'Yes'

'Are you still a Death Eater?'

'Yes'

'Are you a spy?'

'Yes'

'For whose side?'

'The Dark Lord'

'You have the Dark Mark?'

'Yes'

'Why does Albus Dumbledore assume you are a spy for his cause?'

'I heard a prophecy that ultimately led to the death of James and Lily Potter, and attempted murder of Harry Potter. I told Dumbledore that I was remorseful as Lily Potter was my friend and I loved her.'

Harry was furious at this. 'In reality?'

'I hated her. She went off with that arrogant Potter scum.'

'You have the Dark Mark, yes?'

'Yes, you have already asked me this.'

'How does one get this "initiation" mark?' asked Harry.

Snape's eyes met his. 'You must find a muggle family of four; mother, father, boy, girl, preferably young. You must rape the girl and woman, torture the boy, all in front of the father, before cutting up the father. Finally, you must kill the children and then the mother. If you succeed you are given the Dark Mark. If you fail, you are tortured or killed yourself.'

Harry nodded. A few of the members looked sick. 'Can you get rid of the Mark?'

'Yes.'

'How?'

'A special ritual, which requires remorse to be true.'

'Can one get the mark if they are under any curse, charm, potion or any other magical means?' boomed Harry. He knew that this question would shake things up considerably.

'No.'

This single word was enough for Harry. He called to the Chamber. 'All raise their left arms!' Everyone did so, forced by the magic of the room. 'Drop the sleeves!' Everyone's sleeves dropped, revealing about thirteen Dark Marks. 'Aurors, arrest those with Dark Marks!' The aurors were moving already stunning those with Dark Marks and tying them up. 'A joint trial shall be held for all of them. In the meantime: SEAL THE MINISTRY!' cried Harry. A distant bell tolled, and the sound of slamming doors echoed back to the Chamber.

In the Ministry Atrium, the fireplaces were blocked through the grates, while the lifts arrived at their destination and stopped working. All employees knew what the bell was. It signified a lockdown of the Ministry. Up and down the country, witches and wizards would learn of the lockdown from the radio.

In the Wizengomat Chamber, the only thing missing was popcorn for the public. It was beginning to turn into a dramatic movie. Each Death Eater was questioned under Veritaserum, with each of them showing no remorse.

'Such heinous crimes are dangerous and must be punished severely to send a message to the rest of these terrorists. They will not be tolerated! I open the floor to sentences,' said Harry. Various shouts came from some members. Amelia Bones stood up. 'The Crown recognises Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Proxy to the seat of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Bones.'

'Thank you, Your Highness,' said Amelia, addressing Harry properly, and setting the standard for all others. She smiled and said: 'His Highness is correct. We must be firm and hard on these terrorists. They must be punished. The other problem is that many have children, children who have no doubt been swindled by their parents in to such ideas. I fear it may be too late for them, and so therefore believe that a life sentence in Azkaban and seizure of thirty percent of their vault is an acceptable sentence.'

Many members nodded at this. 'Any more suggestions?' said Harry. Dumbledore stood up. 'The Crown recognises Albus Dumbledore, Lord of the Noble House of Dumbledore, and Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.'

'These people should be given a second chance to see the Light-' he didn't get much further, as the public and some of the members booed down from above. Dumbledore shut his mouth in fury and sat down.

'Any more suggestions?' asked Harry. No one stood up. 'We shall vote. First, the life sentence.' The tally was quick and showed 48-7 in favour. 'The seizure of thirty percent of the accused vaults.' The tally showed 40-15. 'I hereby declare these fourteen Death Eaters subject a life sentence in Azkaban, and seizure of thirty percent of their vaults.' Harry banged the gavel.

Madam Longbottom stood up. 'Your Highness, it is extremely irregular that Lord Black did not receive a trial, and is now simply subject to the Dementor's Kiss. What is more is that we _should _convict him. But, without a trial, we cannot!'

'What do you mean he did not receive a trial? Of course he did!' shouted Fudge.

Amelia stood up. 'I have already looked at the records, Lord Black never received a trial, nor was he ever questioned, not upon arrest, nor at any time of his twelve-year incarceration.'

Harry nodded his head, smiling slightly. 'I agree Dowager Longbottom. First, however, UNSEAL THE CHAMBER! Aurors, you are to check _every _employee of the Ministry on whether they have a Dark Mark. Those who do are to be taken into immediate custody to await trial.' The aurors nodded their heads. Harry turned to Fudge, 'As Royal Wizard, I declare the order for Sirius Orion Black to be Kissed on sight null and void.' Fudge spluttered in protest. 'Sirius Orion Black may hand himself in by September thirty-first to have his trial or he will be convicted as guilty.' Harry banged his gavel.

This was the moment that Sirius pulled off his invisibility cloak. The few members of the public screamed in terror. An auror stunned Sirius and bound him. Harry looked on.

'That was quick. We might as well try him now. Any objections?' asked Harry.

'The prosecution requires time!' shouted Fudge.

'Thirteen years is more than enough time, Minister,' said Harry, frowning at the Minister.

Sirius was bought before the Wizengomat and shackled, before being woken. A few drops of Veritaserum were given, and Harry began.

'First, as a direct conflict of interest, I shall abstain from voting,' he declared. A number of members nodded at this. 'Name?'

'Sirius Orion Black'

'Are you a Death Eater?'

'No.'

This answer shocked the crowd. Harry continued: 'Are you loyal to Voldermort?'

'No.'

'Did you betray Lily and James Potter?'

'Yes and No.'

'Explain.'

And so Sirius told the entire Wizengomat what happened that fateful night. It took half-an-hour, and when he was finished the entire crowd was silent and looking on in shock at just how huge a miscarriage of justice this was.

'I believe it is time to vote on conviction,' said Harry. The Wizengomat voted, and Harry saw, with pleasure that the vote was 32-4 against conviction. Only Fudge, Umbridge and Dumbledore wanted him convicted. 'By near unanimous vote, Sirius Orion Black is hereby declared innocent for _all _crimes and is given a full pardon. On behalf of myself and the Wizengomat, let me offer you my congratulations and my apologies for your twelve years of imprisonment,' Harry smiled.

'What about him being an illegal Animagus!' shouted Fudge.

'Sirius Black will register with the Ministry. The prison time is three years, I believe. So Sirius Black will be compensated fully for nine years of imprisonment. Otherwise, Lord Black, you may take your seat,' said Harry, standing up and applauding.

The applause was picked up quickly and soon the Wizengomat and the public gallery were all giving a standing ovation to Sirius. A few flashes were seen as pictures were taken. Sirius went to the former Malfoy seat and sat down. Harry gave the applause a minute, before banging the gavel.

'Yes, well done to our newest member,' said Harry. 'Now then, I think its high-time we right some wrongs. First of all, let's lay some ground rules here in the Chamber. Let us begin: Under no circumstances is any form of bigotry speak allowed in the Chamber. Such speak declares your vote for the meeting null and void!' Some members looked uneasy at this. Harry continued on: 'Under no circumstances is the derogatory term "mudblood" allowed in this Chamber. Use of this term results in immediate removal from the Chamber.' Umbridge looked furious at this.

'Continuing on, we must repeal any laws that go against the Queen's Laws, the Old Laws and the Ancient Laws,' said Harry. Some of the members looked around uneasily. 'All laws that limit the rights of purebloods, half-bloods or muggle-borns are hereby declared null and void!' Harry banged the gavel and everyone in the Chamber could feel the magic that was emitted with this news. Umbridge looked furious.

'All laws that limit the voices of sentiment magical beings are hereby declared null and void, and each of the following species must present a representative to the Wizengomat: centaurs, house-elves and goblins,' Harry banged the gavel again.

'Those laws are there to protect us from these filthy half-breeds!' shouted Umbridge.

'Speaking of half-breeds, all laws that limit the opportunities of werewolves and other half-breeds are hereby repealed. Yes, they may pose a risk, but instead of shunning them from society, we should try to help them,' said Harry. Umbridge looked fit to burst.

'With those laws done, let us continue with funding and departments; Minister Fudge, what is the upcoming fiscal year's budget?' asked Harry.

Fudge stood up nervously and said: 'The budget for the fiscal year of October first to September thirty-first next year is eighty million Galleons, Your Highness.'

'Distribution?' asked Harry.

'Fifteen million to the DMLE, Ten million to the Department of Mysteries, Ten million to the Department of Magical Creatures, Five million for the Wizengomat, Ten million to the Administrative Departments, Ten million to the Department of International Co-operation, and Ten million to the, er-' Fudge looked up at Harry nervously.

'The Tri-wizard Tournament?' asked Harry.

Fudge nodded. 'The last ten million was to be used as miscellaneous,' he said.

Harry looked around and thought. 'The total worth of what we shall receive from the vaults of the Death Eaters is around two point three billion Galleons. I believe that we should spread this out over the next twenty-three years. All in favour?' asked Harry. The voting took place and showed 50-5 in favour. 'The motion passes. Continuing on with Departments, I believe we should follow the Queen's suggestion and form a Department of Muggle Relations; the primary focus of which is to deal with muggle or wizarding issues that overlap each other, such as Death Eaters and the sort. All those in favour?' Harry looked at the tally again. 'The motion passes 48-7 in favour.'

'Minister Fudge, who will you appoint as the Head of this Department?' asked Harry, looking at Fudge.

Fudge looked around nervously, unsure of what to say. 'Er, I am not sure, Your Highness,' he said.

'I can recommend Arthur Weasley of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office,' said Harry.

Fudge nodded. 'That is a good idea, Your Highness,' he said. Harry smiled.

'Now that the new budget will be one hundred and eighty million Galleons, I suggest we up the wages of all employees of the Ministry by fifteen percent,' said Harry. Some members looked happy with this and the motion passed 53-2 in favour. 'This means that the budget for wages will go from fifty million Galleons to sixty-five million Galleons. This will be a separate budget from the Department budgets. This leaves us with one hundred and fifteen million Galleons,' said Harry.

Amelia stood up. 'The Department of Magical Law Enforcement appeals to the Wizengomat for increased funding for its Auror Office and Hit Wizards,' she said. Some people laughed at this.

'I see no problem with this,' Harry said. The laughter stopped. 'How much is the current funding?' asked Harry.

'Two million Galleons, Your Highness,' said Amelia, turning to look at Harry. Some members and some of the public spluttered in outrage.

Harry himself wasn't happy. '_Two million Galleons _to train our Auror force? That is despicable! We must have a proper force to deal with the illegal activities!' said Harry.

'The illegal activities are all sorted!' shouted Fudge, glaring at Harry.

'Do not be so naive, Minister. Illegal activities always occur,' said Harry. He turned to look at Amelia. 'How does twenty million Galleons sound for the Auror Office, with a further twenty million to the whole Department?' asked Harry. 'All in favour?' The voting occurred. 'The motion passes 39-16.'

'That leaves seventy-five million Galleons. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures is hereby changed to become the Department for the Relations and Monitoring of Magical Creatures with fifteen million Galleons. Vote!' said Harry. The motion passed 33-22.

'Fifteen million Galleons is to be spent on the Tri-wizard Tournament. Fifteen million Galleons to the Department of International Co-operation, fifteen million to the Department of Magical Games and Sports, with ten million to the Administrative Offices and Five million to the Wizengomat Services, along with an additional fifteen million to the Department of Mysteries for this year only, while the Tournament proceeds. All in favour?' said Harry. 'The motion passes 38-17. Madam Bones, you would like to say something?' asked Harry.

She nodded and smiled. 'The Department of Magical Law Enforcement seeks approval from the Wizengomat to _fully _investigate Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, Albus Dumbledore, former Chief Warlock and Headmaster of Hogwarts and Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister,' she said. The three named people spluttered in outrage.

Harry banged the gavel. 'Wizengomat, cast your votes,' he said. He looked at the tally. 'The Wizengomat approves these investigations by a vote of 42-13.' Harry smiled at Amelia.

Amelia continued on: 'The Department also launches an investigation into the miscarriage of justice in regards to Lord Sirius Black and immediately issues an arrest warrant for Peter Pettigrew.'

'Pettigrew's probably dead!' shouted Fudge nervously.

Harry looked at one of the remaining aurors. 'Auror Tonks, go to the Department of Mysteries and say that the Wizengomat requires a pensive orb,' he said. Tonks looked surprised that Harry was using her name, but managed to go towards the Department.

'While we wait for the Orb, I hereby remove Dolores Umbridge and Albus Dumbledore from their Wizengomat seats until such time as the investigation is complete. They may appoint a proxy if they wish. I also put Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic on probation,' said Harry.

Some people clapped at this. Umbridge screamed: 'You cannot do this you brat! I am a pureblood of the Selwyn line!'

'Please remove yourself from this Chamber Madam Umbridge,' said Harry.

Dumbledore stood and addressed Harry. 'I would like to appoint my brother, Aberforth Dumbledore as proxy to this seat. He happens to be the heir to the Dumbledore Headship,' he said.

Harry nodded. 'The Crown accepts the proxy for the seat of Dumbledore,' he said.

Tonks came back in carrying an orb. She placed it on the dais and Harry took out his memory. 'This is from the night of June the sixth nineteen ninety-four,' he said. The memory played and showed the entirety of the conversation in the Shrieking Shack. Most of the Wizengomat and public looked on in fury.

When the memory finished, a member stood up. 'We should strip Peter Pettigrew of his Order of Merlin!' he shouted. Shouts of agreement came from the public and other members. Harry banged his gavel.

'The member makes a valid point. All those in favour of removing the Order of Merlin?' asked Harry. The tally lit up 52-0; it seemed that Dumbledore had had two votes for his seat. 'The Order of Merlin, First Class is hereby removed from Peter Pettigrew,' announced Harry.

'Give it to Black!' shouted another member. Murmurs of assent went through the crowd and public.

'Not today, though it is a good idea,' said Harry. In truth, if they awarded Sirius an Order of Merlin now, then in a year's time people would complain about being hasty. They would wait a few months before addressing the issue.

'Continuing on, the Wizengomat has decided the budget for the next fiscal year, we have removed illegal laws and we have arrested and sentenced those who are guilty of crimes. I believe we have no more important business today. I do order all publications that the full extent of this session, other than the pardoning of Sirius Black, the arrest of fourteen Death Eaters and the formation of a new department cannot be published until September second,' said Harry.

'Finally, I call a meeting of the Cabinet for eighteen o'clock. That is an order, Minister,' said Harry, seeing that Fudge had opened his mouth to protest. 'Arthur Weasley is to join us,' added Harry.

'I also announce that my eighteen seats on this esteemed body are to be split equally. I must continue my education at Hogwarts, and as such, I cannot always attend Wizengomat sessions. I give six seats to Sirius Black, Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. Six seats are given by proxy to Madam Amelia Bones, the proxy for the Ancient and Most Noble House of Bones and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. My last six seats are to be given by proxy to the Dowager Countess Longbottom; Madam Augusta Longbottom, the proxy fir the Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengomat,' finished Harry.

'Why not give all of them to one,' asked some member.

'There is a muggle saying; "Don't put all your eggs in one basket". I abide by that saying and trust the three members that I have selected as proxy,' said Harry. He banged the gavel. 'Any final points for the Wizengomat?' asked Harry.

'Get rid of the Tri-Wiz!' shouted a member.

Harry sighed. 'The Tri-wizard Tournament has been in preparations for three years now. The matter was bought before the four hundred and seventy-fourth session of the Wizengomat some thirty-nine times, and before the four hundred and seventy-fifth session some forty-seven times. Every single time, the Wizengomat voted in favour of proceeding. Frankly, we are too far along into it to suddenly decide to not have it. The Tournament will continue, as upheld by the eighty-six previous votes of the Wizengomat,' he said.

'Now then, if that is all, I hereby declare the first meeting of the four hundred and seventy-sixth session of the Wizengomat closed. The second meeting shall take place next Tuesday, the sixth of September of the year nineteen ninety-four of this era,' Harry banged the gavel and the meeting was over. He looked at his watch; it was now five-thirty, there was half-an-hour until the Cabinet meeting.

He turned to look at Hermione, who said: 'Well done Harry!' The herald stood and announced: 'All Rise for His Royal Highness Prince Harry, Duke of Hogsmeade, Lord of the Houses of Potter, Peverell and Merlin, Lord of the Foreign Houses of Friedmann, Addario, Abubakar and Le Chanell, Lord of Hogwarts and Heir of the Founders, Member of the Royal House of Windsor, Heir of the House of Black and Royal Wizard to Her Majesty The Queen!'

All of the members and public stood. Harry got up slowly and exited his small balcony, with Hermione behind him. When he left the Wizengomat Chamber, he saw that the Ministry was still in lockdown. He headed towards the Auror Office, where he saw the Head of the Office; Rufus Scrimgeour.

'Mr. Scrimgeour, have you checked the Ministry for criminals?' asked Harry. Scrimgeour turned and looked at him.

'Yes, Your Highness,' he answered.

'Good,' said Harry, turning around and shouting: 'UNSEAL THE MINISTRY!' Doors and grates echoed as they opened again, unlocking the Ministry after the two-hour lockdown. Harry turned to another auror. 'You are to find Arthur Weasley of the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, and you are to bring him to the Cabinet Meeting Room on the first level,' said Harry. The auror nodded and went to search for Mr Weasley. Harry turned back to Scrimgeour. 'Thank you Mr Scrimgeour for your effective efforts today', he said.

Scrimgeour smiled. 'It was a true pleasure. That funding that you have given us will be even more useful,' he said.

'Good,' replied Harry. He turned and headed towards the first level. It took him and Hermione some fifteen minutes to find the Cabinet Meeting Room, and when they entered they found most of the people already seated. He gave the rest five minutes before starting.

Everyone was there; Arthur Weasley, Cornelius Fudge, Dolores Umbridge, Barty Crouch Sr., Ludo Bagman, Augusta Longbottom, Amos Diggory, Mafalda Hopkirk, Croaker (of the Department of Mysteries), Amelia Bones, an official looking witch who headed the Ministry Administrative Services and all of their assistants, including Percy Weasley.

When Harry came out of the shadows, most of them looked at him in surprise. Barty Crouch Sr. Stood up and said: 'Potter, what are you doing here? You are not allowed here! I should call security!' Percy nodded, agreeing with his boss.

Harry sighed. 'Sit down, Crouch. You are already one of the subjects of an investigation into a serious miscarriage of justice,' said Harry.

Crouch looked shocked and then furious, he thundered: 'What miscarriage of justice?'

'The no-trial of Sirius Black, who was declared innocent by the Wizengomat about two hours ago,' said Harry calmly.

Crouch looked shocked. 'What! He is a Death Eater! The evidence pointed to it!' said Crouch.

'If you shut up and listen, I shall educate the lot of you on what occurred in the Wizengomat today. Some of it will be released tomorrow, some on the second. But you all better pay attention,' said Harry. He then launched into the story of what happened in the Wizengomat.

'...therefore, Arthur Weasley is now on this Cabinet,' finished Harry half-an-hour later. He looked around at the Cabinet. Arthur Weasley looked happy. Amelia, Augusta, Croaker, Amos Diggory and Ludo Bagman looked happy. Crouch, Umbridge, Fudge and even Percy looked unhappy.

'You cannot do that!' shouted Percy.

'Silence, Weatherby,' said Harry, 'you are here only to help your boss, not to participate in the conversation.' Harry turned to look at Crouch. 'If this Tournament was not occurring, I would have removed you from your post, as well as you Bagman for your gambling. As such, the DMLE is already conducting investigations into you both, as well as the Minister, Madam Umbridge and Albus Dumbledore.'

At this news, Ludo Bagman suddenly deflated.

'I have here the official document relating to the appointment of new Heads of Department, as well as the appropriation of funds,' Harry said, handing out pieces of parchment. He read it:

**_Ministry of Magic  
Department Funds  
for the Fiscal Year of  
1994-95_**

**_Royal Wizard: _**_Prince Harry, Duke of Hogsmeade, Lord of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter  
__**Chief Warlock: **__Augusta Longbottom, Dowager Countess, Proxy for the Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom  
__**Minister for Magic: **__Cornelius Oswald Fudge_

**_Department of Magical Law Enforcement: _**_Amelia Bones – forty million Galleons  
__**Department of Mysteries: **__"Croaker" – fifteen million Galleons  
__**Department of International Magical Co-operation: **__Bartemuis Crouch Sr. – fifteen million Galleons  
__**Department of Muggle Issues: **__Arthur Weasley – fifteen million Galleons  
__**Department for the Relations and Monitoring of Magical Creatures: **__Amos Diggory – fifteen million Galleons  
__**Department of Magical Games and Sports: **__Ludo Bagman – fifteen million Galleons_

**_Other services:  
Ministry Employees Wages Fund: _**_Mary Cattermole – sixty-five million Galleons  
__**Ministry of Magic Administrative Services: **__Andrew MacMillan – ten million Galleons  
__**Wizengomat Services: **__Sandra Abbott – four million Galleons  
__**Improper Use of Magic Office: **__Mafalda Hopkirk – one million Galleons_

**_Total Fiscal Budget for the year October 1_****_st_****_, 1994 to September 30_****_th_****_, 1995: _**_195 million Galleons_

'That is certainly a lot,' said Mafalda Hopkirk, 'it also allows us proper care of such things.'

Harry nodded. 'A lot of this comes from the seized funds of the imprisoned Death Eaters,' he said.

'That's all good and well, but what happens in twenty years when we run out of these types of funding sources,' said Barty Crouch Sr.

'I think we'll find more sources by then, and frankly this is a lot of long-term investment Barty. I think it'll work positively,' said Harry, smiling. Barty didn't look happy.

'Now then, if we're quite finished, I should get going. Tomorrow _is _September first; speaking of which, why don't you give Ministry employees the first half of the day off? Most of them have family who go to Hogwarts, and those who don't might appreciate the sleep-in,' finished Harry, standing up. He looked around at some of the flabbergasted expressions. To him it wasn't a bad idea, it was September first, and it was true that most parents could appreciate the time off to sort their broods out.

Harry left the meeting room, closely followed by Hermione.

'That was brilliant Harry! You did a really good job of putting all of them in their place!' she said, as she caught up to him.

'What happened to your blind faith in authority?' Harry teased. Hermione blushed and glared at him.

'I lost that faith when I discovered that Dumbledore's been manipulating you your whole life,' she replied seriously. The two of them remained silent until they caught up with Sirius, who was waiting near the lifts. He saw them and smiled.

'Hey there kids!' he said. 'How was the meeting? And why was I not allowed in?'

'The meeting was great, and you were not allowed in because, even though you're a Lord, you can't be there. Hell! Why not bring the whole Wizengomat session into the meeting room?' Harry asked.

'Yeah, yeah, anyway, tell me how old Barty reacted to my innocence,' asked Sirius excitedly.

'They were all surprised, but they kept silent – rightly so – and decided to accept my word,' said Harry. Sirius laughed.

'Now that we're over this, we need to start getting ready for Hogwarts, Harry,' said Hermione, looking at him.

Harry nodded. 'You're right, time to pack our luggage,' he said.

'We need to get past the media first,' said Sirius, smiling at the sudden look of discomfort on Harry's face.

'Damn the media,' whispered Harry, looking like a traumatised victim. Sirius laughed, while Hermione squeezed his shoulder sympathetically.

'You'll get through it, Harry,' she said, trying to sound reassuring.

Sirius nodded. 'She's right, Harry, it will be fine. Anyway, tell me about the meeting.'

Harry sighed, knowing that, even though the meeting was short, it would take them a long time to get through it, as Sirius loved to butt in and ask who looked like what.

Fortunately – or not – Harry was able to walk from the mouth of one Hell directly into another. As soon as the three of them emerged into the Atrium, the media, which had, up until that point, been looking at the fireplaces, swivelled around and rushed towards Harry, with microphones stretched out, and cameras flashing. When they saw Sirius, they seemed to do the impossible, and actually _doubled _their pace.

'Mr Potter, what are you doing here today?' shouted one reporter.

'Mr Black, how did you get in here?' asked another, aiming their microphone towards Sirius.

'Mr Potter, why are you standing next to the man who betrayed your parents thirteen years ago?' another practically screamed.

Harry waved his hands, getting all of their attention. The questions stopped, but the cameras continued to flash.

'I will make a short statement,' said Harry. 'First of all, there will be an exclusive interview published by the _Daily Prophet _on September second; it was conducted by Rita Skeeter. Now that that's out of the way, let me continue; not two hours ago, the Wizengomat demanded the trial of Lord Black. This trial was conducted, as Lord Black was hidden under an invisibility cloak. My exact business will not be released until the second of September, so don't ask about that. Lord Black was found to be innocent of his supposed crimes and an arrest warrant for Peter Pettigrew has been issued.'

'As well as this, the Ministry arrested Professor Severus Snape, Hogwarts' Potions Master. He, along with thirteen members of the Wizengomat itself were all tried under Veritaserum, and found to be guilty of being Death Eaters. No one can take the Dark Mark without their free will; that includes Imperius Curses. Lord Malfoy, Parkinson and others were all arrested. Following this revelation, the Wizengomat immediately shut down the Ministry, and ordered aurors to check _every _employee of the Ministry for a Dark Mark. I believe a number were arrested, including Yaxley.'

'All laws which limited the rights of non-purebloods, as well as all laws that limited the rights of half-breeds and other sentiment creatures were immediately revoked. This includes werewolves, goblins, centaurs, house-elves and other such creatures.'

'I should also inform you that Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister Dolores Umbridge, Head of the Department of International Co-operation Bartemius Crouch Sr., Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports Ludo Bagman, as well as _former _Chief Warlock of the Wizengomat Albus Dumbledore are all under investigation by the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for charges including theft, fraud, embezzlement, bribery, abuse of power, unlawful guardianship and ignoring of a Will, in the case of Albus Dumbledore,' Harry finished. The crowd had gasped when they discovered that Dumbledore was no longer Chief Warlock and that he was under investigation.

'Whose Will was it Mr Potter?' asked one of the flies.

'It was in fact the joint will of Lord James Charlus Potter and his wife Lady Lily Potter; my parents. Dumbledore expressly went against my parents wishes not to place me with my uncle and aunt, who despise magic, and left me to their mercy. His excuse was that there were blood wards-' the crowd gasped at this '-around the house. The Will clearly said under NO circumstances,' Harry finished.

'What will happen to their positions?' asked another reporter.

'At present, all are on probation. We cannot, obviously, influence Dumbledore's position as Hogwarts Headmaster, but he has been barred from the Wizengomat. His brother will take his place. If he is found guilty, then he will most certainly be stripped of his position as the British representative to the International Confederation of Warlocks. That would result in his removal as the Supreme Mugwump,' Harry said.

'What of the positions of Hogwarts Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House?' asked another reporter.

'That is the Headmaster of Hogwarts' duty. He failed to hire a proper Potions Master. I can tell you that most of the staff and students at Hogwarts will be _very _happy and relieved to see the back of him,' Harry said. 'No more questions.' He led Sirius and Hermione towards the exit.

* * *

An hour later, they were seated in the living room of Potter Manor, laughing.

'You forgot to mention their punishment, Harry, 'said Hermione, smiling at him. It filled him with a weird fuzzy feeling.

'I know,' replied Harry, smiling back at her. She blushed slightly. Hermione stood up and walked towards the shelf, lightly tapping the spines of the many books.

'Who do you think will become our new Potions Master?' asked Hermione.

Harry thought for a moment, wondering who the best person to fill that role would be. A sudden idea came to him. He thought about it a bit more, and realised that there would be additions to this idea within the next month. It was pure evil and pure genius, truly worthy of a Slytherin. Harry turned to look at Sirius, grinning evilly. Sirius noticed his godson's stare and smiled back weakly, wondering what Harry had come up with that led to that evil smile.

'So, Sirius how was your O. W. L. and N. E. W. T score in Potions?' Harry asked innocently.

* * *

**There! Phew, that was a long one, REALLYlong. How do you like the cliffhanger? Yeah, I know, you can probably guess why Harry's asking, can't you? Anyway, that's not important.**

**I originally wrote this chapter with the Death Eater's getting the Dementor's Kiss, but this way they'll be able to break out of Azkaban and I won't spend time trying to find ways of how to get Voldermort an "army".**

**What do you think will happen next? How will those investigations proceed? As for the sudden and massive overhaul of Wizarding Britain, well, let's just say it's part of the plan (What plan? We have a plan? Must come up with plan!). As to HOW he can do so much, you'll have to wait until the next chapter, where all will be revealed!**

**Anyway, this chapter took a while to write (obviously, it took up 23 pages on Word with Verdana size 9!), but I'm very happy with it. Chapter Eight is about Harry returning to Harry and let's just say that there will be some BIG overhauls. It also features the history of the House of Potter.**

**Anyway, that's it for this chapter! I know that I missed the Department of Magical Transportation and the Department of Accidents and Catastrophes, but I don't really care.**

**I appreciate any comments or suggestions, so please read and review! Please note that the next chapter might be out only in two weeks, given the massiveness of this one and the fact that it's the holidays!**

**Thanks you and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year for 2014! Here's a small gift: A SNEAK PEEK of Chapter Ten (published on January 28****th****):**

_'...After just ten minutes of this, the figure stood up and admired her handy-work. 'It will be a waste tomorrow; to see the black hangings in the Hall for you. But I guess it unavoidable,' she said, before spinning on her heel and walking away from __**CHARACTER (I won't tell you who just yet, you'll have to wait)**__...'_

**SeekerGranger**


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